Oil Pulling

Oil pulling, also known as "kavala" or "gundusha," is an ancient Ayurvedic dental technique that involves swishing a tablespoon of oil in your mouth on an empty stomach for around 20 minutes. This action supposedly draws out toxins in your body, primarily to improve oral health but also to improve your overall health.

The reported benefits include:

• Whiter teeth • Cavity and gingivitis prevention • Better breath (halitosis suffers also reported greatly improved morning breath) • Stronger teeth and gums • Less jaw pain (TMJ sufferers noted great improvement), sleep problems and sinus issues • Alleviation of headaches, hangovers and skin issues (reports have shown improvement in acne, psoriasis and eczema)

The procedure I followed:

First, pick an oil. Most people use coconut oil as it also has strong antibacterial properties, but you can use any other vegetable-based oil. Then, take a tablespoon of oil and swish it around your mouth for 20 minutes.

(Note: Be gentle here -- no need to be as aggressive as you are with mouthwash, as you will be doing it for 20 minutes and don’t want to get a stiff jaw! The oil will almost double in size as it draws in saliva as well as the toxins. Be sure not to swallow as you will be taking these toxins into your body -- the complete opposite of what you are trying to do.)

Once the 20 minutes are up, spit the oil out into the trash (not your sink, where the oil may solidify and block up the drain) and swish your mouth with warm salt water. Finally, brush and floss as you normally would.

My Personal experience:

I tried this procedure in the past for a period of 2 weeks whenever I happen to have a constant cough or a throat infection. Antibiotics prescribed by the doctors erode the epithelial layers of cells in your throat and gives you a hoarse voice and sore throat. Strepsils are the worse. But this medication ofcourse is a ‘quick fix’ for this generation. Hence balancing it out with organic foods is the key for good oral health. On the first day, a tablespoon felt like a lot, so I decided I’d start with a teaspoon and work my way up. Don’t use solid coconut oil, it will make you gag and spit it out. Once melted and cooled it is easier to take, so I began swishing. While you are swishing you can continue to go about your other chores. The good thing about coconut oil is that it doesn’t taste that bad. I also use other vegetable oils when I run out of coconut oil. After reaching 15 minutes I spat it out, and was happy to note that once I had swilled with warm salt water, and brushed and flossed as normal, there was no residue left.

To see the benefits of oil pulling, you really have to do this most days of the week for about two weeks, but I will say that my teeth were considerably whiter after only four days and it cures my cough and sore throat easily within 5 days.

Dr Katey Yeowart Report

I reached out to Dr. Katey Yeowart, MBBS MPH, for her professional opinion of oil pulling with coconut oil.

Dr. Yeowart says that to date, there is relatively little formal trial data about oil pulling, but that coconut oil does make a great, organic substitute for mouthwash as it contains Vitamin E, which acts as an antioxidant, and also has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties thanks to the lauric acid and monolaurin. (On a personal note, her mom swears by it for her gums.)

Coconut oil has other proven benefits, too. It contains lots of easily digestible, fat-soluble vitamins: A,D,E and K. Vitamin A is good for the immune system, Vitamin E has strong antioxidant properties for the skin and can provide some protection against UV rays, Vitamin D is good for strong bones and teeth, and Vitamin K is good for blood-clotting. Dr. Yeowart also says there is "weak evidence" that coconut oil could increase your good cholesterol and reduce the bad stuff, though more research is needed.

One caution: Dr. Yeowart says there is still a risk of "contact dermatitis," an allergic skin reaction to coconut oil, so it's best to test in the crease of your elbow before putting it in your mouth.

We still don't know if oil pulling is as good and effective as some people claim it is (and some people have certainly reported great results). At the very least, we know cleaning our mouths with coconut oil can't hurt us, especially with all of the added benefits Dr. Yeowart mentioned above.

Will I be trying it again? YES for sure as it has been helping me in the past with my oral health that are a little easier than with the stomach.

I still keep myself updated with latest research on this amazing oil A latest study has shown that dietary supplementation with coconut oil may result in a reduction in waist circumference and other benefits.More info on this research can be found at this link below.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/06/22/magical-fat-that-increases-good-cholesterol-and-lowers-abdominal-obesity-in-women.aspx