What is Oil Pulling and How to Do it

There is SO much buzz around oil pulling right now! Celebrities are tweeting about it and everyone has a friend of a friend who swears by it. But what exactly is it and is it worth all the hype?

Oil pulling comes from Ayurveda, which is a system of alternative medicine that originated in India thousands of years ago. Ayurvedic medicine contains many holistic and simple recommendations for balancing the body and promoting good health. One of these simple practices is oil pulling, which Ayurvedic texts claim can cure diseases ranging from allergies to migraines!

Traditionally, oil pulling is done by gently swishing oil around the mouth first thing in the morning, kind of like mouthwash. This is said to stimulate hunger and prepare the digestive system for breakfast. It’s also said to bind toxins and bacteria and pull them out of the body improving oral and overall health.

Studies have found that oil pulling reduces the number of Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans bacteria in the mouth. These bacteria have been linked to gum disease, tooth decay and bad breath. What’s great about this is that oil pulling naturally reduces these bacteria without some of the harsh additives of mouthwash. Most mouthwashes contain synthetic colouring agents and many use ethyl alcohol that can actually damage gums. Additional benefits of oil pulling that I’ve experienced is a decrease in tooth sensitivity, less plaque build-up and noticeably whiter teeth. So, while there’s no evidence that oil pulling will cure diseases, there’s a lot that shows it’s great for the health of your mouth and the health of your mouth is definitely linked to your overall health (like flossing regularly reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease).

If you want to reduce plaque, clean teeth, prevent cavities, freshen breath, whiten teeth and improve gum health.

1. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of organic coconut oil in your mouth (not the amount pictured above). Coconut is more effective at killing the Strep bacteria than other kinds of oil, but you could also use sesame, sunflower or olive oil if you prefer.
2. Let the oil melt and begin to gently swish it around your mouth. Don’t go crazy here, or your cheeks will get tired!
3. Do something to distract yourself. We’re going to swish for 15 minutes, so find something to do to make the time fly by! I recommend jumping in the shower or getting your breakfast prepped. This will feel like a long time, but we need to give the oil time to loosen the plaque and bacteria.
4. Once 15 minutes is up, spit the oil in the garbage, (not the sink, it’ll clog it up). Try not to swallow any of the oil since it’s holding on to bacteria and debris we want to get out of our mouth.
5. Rinse your mouth with water. I like using a sea salt rinse, but plain warm water is fine too.
6. Brush and floss the teeth. This helps to remove remaining oil and leftover debris oil pulling has loosened up.

That’s it! Simple, cheap and way better than the weird stuff in mouthwash.

With oil pulling, it’s like most good health routines, it’s best to do it regularly to notice the benefits. So, here’s your challenge - Get yourself some organic coconut oil, pull every day for 2 weeks and see if your mouth feels better.