“It is beneficial for strength of jaws, depth of voice, flabbiness of face, improving gustatory sensation and good taste for food. One used to this practice never gets dryness of throat, nor do his lips ever get cracked; his teeth will never be carious and will be deep rooted; he will not have any toothache nor will his teeth set on edge by sour intake; his teeth can chew even the hardest eatables”—Charaka samhita Ch V -78 to 80.
Oil pulling a topic of interest and confusion for many. It’s not anything new really. Oil pulling has been around for a long time, it’s a traditional Indian folk remedy, and found in Ayurvedic medicine as well. Also known as oil swishing, oil pulling is a practice that is used to reduce bacteria in the mouth, sort of like a holistic mouthwash. Additionally, it can help to reduce the effect of cavities on the teeth. Oil pulling is a great method for pulling toxins out of the blood as well. The chewing action done during oil pulling can trigger enzymes that draw toxins from the blood. It is important to note that the oil has become very toxic by doing this and by no means should you ever swallow it. There are many reports and findings that indicate the practice of oil pulling can cure many ailments and diseases. Common diseases like allergies, common cold and cough, dental caries, gum diseases, infections in the mouth, ear, nose, throat, eyes, and pains like headache, migraine, tooth pain, neck pain, back pain etc, allergic sneezing, lip cracking, fevers, irritability etc, can be often cured simply by oil pulling.
My Oil Pulling Trials
I have tried oil pulling, but have never yet instilled it as a daily practice. Initially I just tried it out in the mornings for a week. I enjoyed how wonderful my teeth felt afterwards. From time to time when I think of it I do it, just because I know it’s a wonderful holistic practice. It’s important to not have any interruptions during your oil pulling sessions. I find I have to try to do it when my kids aren’t around. Otherwise, they may want me to talk to them and I won’t be able to. Or, they may need some kind of parental ‘intervention’ (such as breaking up a fight, or what have you), that could cause you to need to spit out your oil mid therapy. You get my drift.
My best experience with oil pulling is when I feel a sinus infection coming on. I used to suffer with sinus pressure and pain in my upper right gum line regularly. Now it comes on once in awhile and I deal with it immediatlely and it quickly dissipates. Oil pulling usually kicks that sinus pain and gum pain out the first try. I definitely have found benefit by using this practice. Now, I am ready to take it further and make it a daily practice. (Anyone care to join me?)
The How To
In the morning before breakfast, on an empty stomach, take 1 tablespoon of cold- pressed sunflower, sesame, olive or coconut oil 
in the mouth, but do not swallow. Swish the oil around the mouth, chew it, and mix it with your saliva for 10 – 20 minutes. Then, spit it into the toilet bowl.
Chewing activates the enzymes which draw toxins out of the blood. And, in 10 – 15 minutes, the blood from the entire body has had the opportunity to circulate through and around the mouth. After 10 – 20 minutes, the oil should be thinner and white. If it is still yellow, you have not held it in your mouth long enough. (Note that 10 minutes the first week is usually sufficient. Then, increase to 15 – 20 minutes as you get clearer.)
Immediately brush your gums, teeth, and tongue with warm salt/soda water (1 cup water to ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon soda) or with food-grade hydrogen peroxide diluted in water. Then, gargle and spit with the remaining salt/soda water. It is also helpful to tip the cup under the nose and gently sniff up the water to clean the nasal passages. Then, gently blow the nose.
The sink should be cleaned afterward because the saliva contains harmful bacteria and toxic bodily waste.
Repeat this procedure two to three times a day before meals on an empty stomach. Continue this procedure until you are healthy (a few weeks or more).
Note: Sesame oil also works well and only needs to be held in the mouth three minutes.
(source – Dr. Karach’s Oil Pulling Therapy; Pulling_Oil_Karach_Article)
The Challenge
Often good intentions start off well, but may go by the wayside for various reasons. I never stuck with oil therapy daily, as it was time consuming in a way. Namely, I just didn’t plan it well and didn’t fully appreciate the value of it. Now I am more inspired to stick with it. Soooo, I thought why not make it a group effort, something with accountability and inspiration from otheres, and turn it into a challenge. I’d like to instill a month of oil pulling – does anyone want to join me? If I can get 10 or more interested, I’ll turn it into a prize winning affair! Post in the comments your interest – and we’ll see if we can’t go ahead and get this party started right!
At the dawn of twenty first century it causes doubt, disbelief and astonishment, if one advises you to practice a therapy, which cures most diseases. In the past twelve years the curative results of”Oil Pulling” (OP) of thousands of people provides proof beyond doubt. It is described as the ‘Best Drug less Therapy’ a cure for most diseases.
For more on this topic, check out this awesome little booklet; Oil_Pulling_A_Universal_Remedy.
And this great site; Oil Pulling – Wonderful Therapy
{ 48 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m in for the challenge!
I would love to try this!
I have been wanting to start this. This is the perfect excuse! Thanks!
I’m in. Been doing it for a week but only in the mornings. I’m excited!
I was first introduced to coconut oil from an article I read on oil pulling. I couldn’t make it a habit either. I tried doing it when I first woke up. It didn’t stick. Luckily I learned about cooking with coconut oil not long after that so I was able to use the oil for other things.
I was happily oil pulling before I got pregnant. Since it has a detoxing effect, I was afraid to continue during pregnancy, as detoxing is generally discouraged during this time.
Do you know if this a safe practice for expectant mothers?
I’m in. Is it ok while nursing? I started this morning at the suggestion of a friend and then another friend posted this article. Serindipitous? I think so. I have been battling a sinus infecdtion and toothache and this cleared the sinuses and took the ache away. Amazing!
I’m in too!
I would love to try this.
Sounds interesting. I’m game to give it a try!
i bought sesame oil just for this and kept it up for 1 week. with 4 small kids, my problem is finding the uninterrupted time… but i’m in. adding in some supplements this week and detoxing gently, so this would be a great way to go!
I’m in. Perfect timing. Ask, seek, knock.
I have tried it several times as well, but without truly establishing a habit. I’m in!
I want to try this but… twenty minutes? How is it that sesame oil works in three minutes if the blood needs longer to completely circulate?
Kathryn – I don’t think you have to do 20 minutes. Start with a few and work your way up to 10. As for the sesame oil – I am not sure why it’s less on one set of instructions I received, but that was not the case on others I saw. I have heard that it is the most effective oil of choice – could be why? I’ll look into it further!
I have never heard of this and I am thrilled to try it. I was sure that i was going to use coconut oil but the sesame is looking better cause of the 3 minutes…did you find anything out about that yet? I have foot exercises that I got from my MAT guy that take 30 min 2 times a day so looks like I can put the oil pulling in that place, perfect.
YES!- accomplished 6-7 min w cold-pressed sesame oil before baby woke up from first nap. and i’m posting b/c my cold w/ stuffy sinuses isn’t gone, but my sinuses are totally clear for the first time in 3 days! even the neil-med sinus rinse didn’t do this! Just as encouragement.
I am IN! I bought some sesame oil from Whole Foods this morning! The Hubster is going to do it too!
quick theory/question- since this is not actively dumping stored toxins into the body, but instead allowing them to be pulled out of the blood stream and released from the body without reentering the bloodstream, this would be a detox that would be safer for nursing moms than your usual cleanse the organs into the bloodstream and then out detox…. thoughts?
Cassi ~ I agree that this is likely a gentler way of ridding the body of toxins. I will be posting more next week and we’ll start the challenge Feb. 1st!
Is there a certain brand of sesame oil that anyone prefers?
I have Spectrum unrefined currently. Wilderness Family Naturals, Tropical Traditions, Omega Nutrition, Mountain Rose Herbs, Flora and Eden brands are all good as far as quality goes.
Lovely, thank you so much.
I would love to try this!
I have already bought my sesame oil, but won’t be able to start with y’all on the first, as I am having surgery soon after that & know that I won’t get to do it uninterrupted (regarding the month).
I will look forward to hearing your collective experiences.
I am so grateful to know @ this.
Chewing away on coconut oil as I type! Went & grabbed a spoonful after I read this. I’ll give it a go! Hard to chew oil though!?! Trying not to swallow is hard too!! And for some reason, I can’t chew while I type! How odd b/c I typically eat when I’m at the computer!?!
i’m in! so sesame oil only needs 3 minutes?
I’ve heard in passing that this isn’t a good idea to do if you have metal dental fillings. Do you know anything abut this?
I’d love to try this consistently!
Soli – the concern with the mercury fillings is that long term use could actually loosen the fillings to the point they could fall out. The risk of that is accidentally swallowing them. I will comment further on this in my upcoming post!
I’ve tried OP in the past and never really noticed a difference. Maybe I’ll try it again and see if something has changed.
One thing I would like to say is that I have been told my many people that you should spit the toxic oil in the garbage can, not in the sink or the toilet. The oil can clog your plumbing, especially if you’re doing it regularly. Spitting it in the trash can is the safest way to dispose of it. Or so I’ve been told. We have all sorts of plumbing issues in our place, so I’m not going to risk it.
Good point Jessica! I will edit that info. in my next post.
I love to try it……….
Oh I would love to do this challenge. i have done the same – stopped and started and KNOW it’s great for first thing in the morning!!!
i’ve not tried this. i just couldn’t see any way that i can do this 3 times a day for 20 minutes at a time.. on an empty stomach. tooooooooo many restrictions… i may try it once a day for 20 minutes. that would even be a struggle. i have read about it several times.. and am not afraid to try new healthy stuff… i consider myself a healthfood junkie!!
I’m in! I tried it this morning in the shower with Eden’s unrefined sesame oil. I’ll move to coconut oil once I adjust.
Sorry if I come off ignorant, but when you say soda for the soda water mixture you gargle afterwords, what kind of soda? Baking soda?
yes Margaret, baking soda!
Tammy – try just doing the sesame oil for 3 minutes and build up over time if it’s feasible.
This is the first I’ve ever heard of oil pulling, but I’m excited to try it! I’m in!!
A few days into it, maybe a week, for this nagging clogged ear problem. Today is the first time I feel my head is not being held under water, although I don’t feel a 1oo percent unclog. However, my teeth look better, feel better and my gums are pink again. I will continue. It is definitely working on some level. It is much easier to do than initially.
I’ve heard unbelievable things about oil pulling but just couldn’t see myself with a mouth full of oil. Reading this blog post I decided I had to try it. It’s on my list to buy some sesame oil, but I’ve had a truly wretched virus (head cold, dizzy, cough, bowl pain, bloody tissue discharge from my nose). Well, If this wasn’t happening to me right now I wouldn’t believe it… The only oil in the house is EVO, but I figured any oil might be better than none in desperate circumstances. I poured the oil in my mouth then realized I’m so blocked up I couldn’t breathe through my nose at all AND that I’d put too much oil in my mouth. I thought, “This isn’t going to fly.” and spit out the oil. But, once my mind is made up to do something I can be pretty stubborn. I put more oil in my mouth… and realized that I could breathe through one nostril, swished for three minutes and both nostrils became clear! Will definitely be persuing this.
i’m on day 2. i did 20 min each of the last 2 days using coconut oil. my head feels really clear!
If you are oil pulling with coconut oil don’t spit it down your drain. Coconut Oil solidifies at below 75 degrees and will stop up your trap. I had to boil water and pour it in my sink.
It took a few minutes before the hot water melted the hardened oil.
I’d be curious to know why it should be done on an empty stomach.
@diane… For clogged ears — deliberately yawn as large as you can (you want to hear your ears pop, even if just a tiny bit), them swallow firmly. Once you get the hang of it you’ll notice you can feel/taste the drainage from your blocked ear tubes. Do it as often as necessary. I do it whenever I think of it on the assumption that if I think of it my body’s notified me that it’s time.
I am just now finding this. I am going to begin using coconut oil (because this is all I have) in the morning. I plan to buy some sunflower seed oil soon.
Been doing this since Feb. 5. Is it my imagination or my teeth seem whiter? Although of late, I am feeling tired/sluggish every afternoon. Can this be a ‘healing crisis’?