How An Ancient Ayurvedic Remedy Called “Oil Pulling” Can Revitalize Your Health and Well-being by Detoxifying Your Mouth…and Your Entire Body
Recently, an unorthodox method called oil pulling—derived from an ancient Eastern medical tradition called Ayurveda—has become a popular as a way to address oral health, reverse chronic conditions, and enhance overall well-being.
This refreshingly simple modern adaptation of an ancient cure involves swishing and “pulling” oil (usually sunflower, sesame, coconut, or olive) in the mouth for 15 to 20 minutes daily. 
Believe it or not, this inexpensive, do-it-yourself therapy can have astonishing detoxifying effects. Users report that it can do everything from curing gingivitis … to facilitating weight loss…to reversing arthritis…clearing skin conditions…and even decreasing grey hair!
The impact of this remarkable therapy begins with its ability to foster a far cleaner, healthier mouth. By vastly improving your oral health, oil pulling benefits can have a tremendous and unexpected impact on your total well-being.
The Silent Factor that Kills Millions
In 2000, the Surgeon General of the United States issued a report, Oral Health in America, calling attention to the strong link between oral health and overall health. According to the report, poor oral hygiene is the “silent factor promoting the onset of life-threatening diseases which are responsible for the deaths of millions of Americans each year.”
The mouth is home to billions of bacteria…viruses…fungi…parasites…and myriad other toxins. Strains of germs such as candida and streptococcus and their toxic waste products not only cause gum disease and tooth decay, but also contribute to serious and even debilitating health problems.
When your immune system is overburdened by factors such as excessive stress, poor diet, and environmental toxins, destructive organisms from your mouth can spread throughout the body. Once unleashed in the body, these toxins can generate secondary infections, chronic inflammation, and other persistent health problems.
Mayo Clinic staff lists the following diseases and conditions that may be caused or affected by oral health:
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• Cardiovascular disease
• Endocarditis (infection of the inner lining of the heart)
• Premature birth and low birth weight
• Diabetes
• HIV/AIDS
• Eating disorders
• Osteoporosis
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Immune system disorders
Ancient Eastern Remedy Revived in the West – and Promoted by Prominent Scientists and Doctors
The traditional Ayurvedic medical treatment from which oil pulling benefits emerged was known as “oil gargling.”
Ukrainian physician Dr. F. Karach, developed the modern version of oil pulling in the early 1990s. Dr. Karach believed the practice could cure a variety of illnesses, from heart disease to digestive troubles to hormonal disorders. He himself cured his own chronic blood disorder and arthritis through the practice of oil pulling.
Currently, one of the most prominent oil-pulling enthusiasts is Dr. Bruce Fife, author of the book, Oil Pulling Therapy: Detoxifying and Healing the Body Through Oral Cleansing.
“The first thing that most people notice when they start oil pulling is an improvement in their oral health,” says Dr. Fife. “Teeth become whiter, breath becomes fresher, and the tongue and gums take on a healthy pink color. Even problems such as bleeding gums, tooth decay, and gum disease are greatly diminished or completely healed.”
Dr. Karach’s and Dr. Fife’s methods are similar. Both consist of swishing oil in the mouth—including “pulling” it through your teeth—for a period of 15 to 20 minutes. The major difference is that Dr. Karach favors sunflower oil, while Dr. Fife is a proponent of coconut oil.
Either way, the oil cleanses your mouth in much the same way as the oil you put in your car engine. Engine oil picks up dirt and grime and pulls the debris out with it when it’s drained. Subsequently, your engine is cleaner, runs smoother, and works longer.
Oil pulling has the same effect on the body. It “pulls” toxins and bacteria from your mouth and body. By expelling these harmful substances, you will improve your health so that you, too, can “run” better for longer.
A Remarkable Detoxifier and Healer
Dr. Fife describes oil pulling benefits as “one of the most remarkable methods of detoxification and healing” he’s encountered over the course of his career as a naturopathic physician.
Other detoxification methods—such as juice fasts, diets, or unpleasant (and often bowel-loosening) mixes of herbs and pills—are often expensive and ultimately ineffective. Oil pulling is cheap, practically effortless, and completely harmless! “All you are doing is rinsing your mouth out with vegetable oil—a food,” Fife reminds patients. “You’re not even swallowing the oil. What can be more benign than that?”
Oil pulling has no adverse side effects, and has myriad health benefits, such as:
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• Whiter, straighter teeth
• Healthy, pink gums
• Increased energy
• Decreased migraine headaches
• Improved or reversed arthritis
• Less sinus congestion
• Fewer asthma symptoms
• Elimination of allergies
• Alleviated PMS symptoms
• More regular menstrual cycles
• Improved sleep cycle
• Clearer complexion
Oil pulling is safe for almost anyone, regardless of your current level of health. Don’t be deceived by its simplicity, even very serious conditions have been markedly improved by the treatment.
How to Practice Oil Pulling
The traditional Ayurvedic method calls for unrefined, cold-pressed sunflower or sesame seed oil. However, experts now say that other oils like unrefined olive or coconut oil can be equally effective (or even more effective for certain conditions) and may have a better taste.
Health and nutrition writer Elizabeth Walling offers these tips for those interested in giving oil pulling a try:
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• Oil pulling should be done on an empty stomach immediately after waking up
• Use about 1 tablespoon of oil
• If desired, a drop or two of an essential or healing oil like oregano can be added
• Swish the oil slowly, try to reach every region of your mouth
• Be careful not to swallow the oil, which will become very thin and foamy as you swish
• After 20 minutes has elapsed, spit out the oil and rinse your mouth with pure water
• Brush teeth with a natural toothpaste
If you’re using oil pulling to address a specific health problem, experts recommend daily sessions. However, it can be done as often as you’d like in pursuit of outstanding detoxification and overall health.
The necessary oils are available in most natural health stores as well as from many reputable online sources, so pick the kind that sounds best to you and give it a swish.
