Has anyone ever heard of or tried oil pulling?

[desertrat]

Found this on another website. Interesting. It sounds so simple! Would like your thoughts on this. i know it doesn't pertain so much to MC in itself, but it does address certain problems many of us face.
Mandy


Oil Pulling for a Brighter Smile and Better Health

by Bruce Fife



“That sounds ridiculous,” exclaimed Rick in disbelief. “It will never work. How could it? It doesn’t make any sense.” Rick suffered from chronic sinusitis. At night when lying down, his nose would stop up, making it difficult for him to breathe and to sleep. The congestion also caused him to experience frequent headaches.

The therapy I was telling him about was oil pulling. Although oil pulling has its origins in Ayurvedic medicine, which dates back thousands of years, this modern version is relatively new, at least in the United States. Oil pulling is very simple. Basically all you do is rinse your mouth out with vegetable oil, much like you would with a mouthwash. As simple as it sounds, if done correctly it has a very powerful cleansing and healing affect not only on the mouth and sinuses, but the entire body.

A few days later, Rick called me on the phone. “Wow! This oil pulling stuff really works,” he exclaimed. “My sinuses began to drain immediately. I expelled a lot of dark yellow, gross looking mucous. I’m breathing easier and sleeping better and my headaches are gone!”

I wasn’t surprised with Rick’s success. I hear many similar responses from others with various health problems. “I was skeptical at first,” says Cynthia. “I couldn’t see how swishing oil in my mouth could help with my arthritis. After eight days I noticed the pain in my hands diminished considerably. There was also marked improvement in my neck and I could move my head from side to side without any pain. I was amazed at how quickly I got results. I haven’t felt this good in along time!”

Some people think I’m crazy when I tell them that oil pulling can help those with asthma, allergies, chronic fatigue, diabetes, migraine headaches, PMS, and chronic skin problems. Oil pulling works by detoxifying or cleansing the body. In this way, disease promoting toxins are removed, thus allowing the body to heal itself. As a consequence, health problems of all types improve.

“I’ve suffered for several years with joint and lower back pain,” says Anna. “Every morning it was difficult getting out of bed because the pain. After two months of oil pulling the pain is all but gone. I’m amazed. Although I began oil pulling to relieve the joint pain, a few other things happened that I didn’t expect. I’m surprised to see that the eczema on my arm and hand disappearing and my skin becoming smoother and softer. Nothing I had tried before had helped. I sleep better at night too, so I have more energy during the day. I no longer need my mid-day naps. I have so much energy I almost feel like a teenager again. My periods have become more regular with less cramping and less mood swings. Also, my teeth, gums, and tongue are cleaner than they’ve ever been.”

The first thing that most people notice when they start oil pulling is an improvement in their oral health. 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.

“I had a really bad infection in my mouth,” says Brittany. “It was so painful that I could not sleep. Pain medication helped temporarily. I was sure that I needed another root canal. After hearing about oil pulling I decided to give it a try before going to the dentist. I began oil pulling three times a day. By the very next day the pain was gone! No soreness, nothing. I was shocked. I continue to oil pull and my teeth are whiter and healthier looking then they have ever been. My gums have stopped bleeding, they used to bleed after every brushing. They are no longer receding and my teeth feel tighter. On my last visit to the dentist he was amazed at how much better my teeth and gums looked. He told me to continue to do whatever I was doing.”

Oil pulling traces it roots to oil gargling practiced in Ayurvedic medicine. Oil pulling as we know it today, was introduced in 1992 by Dr. F. Karach, MD. Dr. Karach claimed that oil pulling could cure a variety of illnesses ranging from heart disease and digestive troubles to hormonal disorders. He said it cured him of a chronic blood disorder of 15 years duration and within three days it cured his arthritis, which at times was so painful he was bed ridden. He used the method in his medical practice with great success.

Dr. Karach’s method of oil pulling consists of swishing, not gargling, vegetable oil in the mouth. The oil is “worked” in the mouth by pushing, pulling, and drawing it through the teeth for a period of 15 to 20 minutes. It is done one to three times a day on an empty stomach. The best time is in the morning before eating breakfast, but can be done before any meal. The used oil is discarded and the mouth rinsed out with water. The oil is never swallowed because it is loaded with bacteria, toxins, pus, and mucous.

Sunflower and sesame seed oils are the most commonly used for oil pulling, but any vegetable oil will work. People have had success with olive, coconut, almond, and other oils. I prefer to use coconut oil because of its many health benefits. If you use a mild flavored coconut oil it is very pleasant in the mouth. Some oils, such as extra virgin olive oil, are so strong flavored that many people find them difficult to use.

The oil acts like a cleanser. When you put it in your mouth and work it around your teeth and gums it “pulls” out bacteria and other debris. It acts much like the oil you put in your car engine. The oil picks up dirt and grime. When you drain the oil, it pulls out the dirt and grime with it, leaving the engine relatively clean. Consequently, the engine runs smoother and lasts longer. Likewise, when we expel harmful substances from our bodies our health is improved and we run smoother and last longer.

As simple as it is, oil pulling has a very powerful detoxifying effect. Our mouths are the home to billions of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other parasites and their toxins. Candida and Streptococcus are common residents in our mouths. It is these types of germs and their toxic waste products that cause gum disease and tooth decay and contribute to many other health problems including arthritis and heart disease. Our immune system is constantly fighting these troublemakers. If our immune system becomes overloaded or burdened by excessive stress, poor diet, environmental toxins and such, these organisms can spread throughout the body causing secondary infections and chronic inflammation, leading to any number of health problems.

Oil pulling is one of the most remarkable methods of detoxification and healing I have ever experienced in my career as a naturopathic physician. It helped me overcome a chronic skin problem that other forms of detoxification, including numerous juice fasts lasting up to 30 days, were unable to cure.

Oil pulling can work its magic almost instantly. Some people report relief from certain conditions after doing it only once. Minor problems often clear up within a few days. More serious, chronic problems may require a few weeks or several months or more depending on lifestyle issues.

Toxins are pulled from the body the very first time you try it. One of the first cleansing symptoms you will experience is an increased flow of mucous from your throat and sinuses. Mucous drainage is one of the body’s methods of removing toxins. While you are pulling, mucous may build in the back of your throat. You may even have to expel the oil and clear the mucous from your throat before reaching a full 20 minutes. That’s okay, take another spoonful of oil and continue until you’ve pulled for a total of 15-20 minutes. You may also experience a little nausea and perhaps even need to vomit as your body expels toxic waste. Other symptoms may also arise temporarily. These symptoms will subside as your body becomes cleaner and you become more comfortable with oil pulling. Unlike other methods of detoxification that last for only a short time, oil pulling should become a regular part of your daily schedule, like brushing your teeth.

Oil pulling is incredibly effective in brightening teeth, healing gums, preventing bad breath, quenching inflammation, and healing oral infections. It is also effective in treating many systemic conditions throughout the body.

As good as it is, the simple oil pulling method described in this article isn’t always enough. Some people and some conditions require a little extra care. For this reason, I took oil pulling and developed it into a more complete, more effective method that I call Oil Pulling Therapy. This program incorporates medicated coconut oil (which you can make yourself), diet, select nutrients, oral pH balancing procedures, and, for those who have amalgam (mercury) fillings or metal crowns, a detox procedure designed specifically for removing heavy metals, all of which combine to greatly enhance the effects and healing properties of oil pulling. The details of this program are covered in my new book Oil Pulling Therapy: Detoxifying and Healing the Body Through Oral Cleansing.

Oil pulling is cheap; the only expense is for the oil you use. It is very easy; you simply swish oil in your mouth. Compared to other forms of detoxification it is relatively effortless. It doesn’t require dieting, fasting, or consuming unpleasant, and often bowel loosening, mixes of herbs and pills. And it is completely harmless. All you are doing is rinsing your mouth out with vegetable oil—a food. You’re not even swallowing the oil. What can be more benign than that? Nearly anyone can do it, regardless of their level of health. If you have health issues, don’t let the simplicity of oil pulling detour you from trying it. Sometimes the simplest procedures produce the greatest results. ■

http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com/

To learn more about the science and practice of oil pulling see the book Oil Pulling Therapy: Detoxifying and Healing the Body Through Oral Cleansing, available through: http://piccadillybooks.com/oil-pulling-therapy.htm

[tex]

Mandy,

When something sounds too good to be true - well, you know the rest of that line.

You may or may not have heard of Dr. Weil - he's an MD who claims to be an authority on anti-inflammatory diets, (and he sells books on the topic). Here's what he says about the practice of "oil pulling":

Oil pulling is a curious and ancient folk remedy recommended by Ayurvedic physicians, without any scientific proof of its efficacy, to prevent tooth decay, bad breath, bleeding gums, dryness of the throat and cracked lips, and to treat weakness of the teeth, gums, and jaws. On the Internet, oil pulling is promoted as a cure for a long list of disorders including headache, bronchitis, toothache, thrombosis, eczema, ulcers and other diseases of the stomach, intestines, heart, blood, kidney, liver, lungs and female reproductive organs. I've also seen claims that oil pulling can prevent the growth of malignant tumors. I know of no evidence to support any of these claims.

In fact, I have been able to find only one scientific study on oil pulling. The study was designed to evaluate the effect of oil pulling on bacteria (Streptococcus mutans) in plaque and saliva of children, and to compare its antiseptic power with that of using a conventional mouthwash containing chlorhexidine. The researchers found a reduction in the bacteria count in the plaque and saliva samples in both the study and the control groups and concluded that oil pulling can help maintain oral health. The study was published in an Indian dental journal.

Bottom line: Oil pulling won't hurt you, but I wouldn't depend on it to help you improve your overall health or treat significant medical problems.

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400499/O ... emedy.html

The red emphasis is mine, of course. I agree with Dr. Weil. IMO, there's nothing magic about rinsing your mouth with oil, unless you're getting ready to pop a couple of habaneros into your mouth, in which case it will help a little to control the fire). Believe it or not, rinsing your mouth with plain salt water will often do wonderful things, also. More than once, when I have felt a cold coming on, gargling with warm salt water has saved the day - it works especially well for issues that cause, or start with, a sore throat.

Salt water is very good for clearing the sinuses, and alleviating hay fever symptoms by rinsing away pollen, at the end of the day, as well, (à la neti pot). Rick, (in the article you cited), would have been much better off doing that, to clear his sinuses.

Tex

[desertrat]

Thanks, Tex! I have heard of Dr. Weil; he resides in Arizona, not too far from me. Not 100 percent on board with everything he says, but I do have to agree that oil pulling "does seem to good to be true". Not that I didn't try, LOL!
Mandy

[Kari]

If this can help with oral hygiene, I'm willing to give it a go. I have been looking for a natural remedy for cleaning my mouth for some time. The commercial products have too many iffy ingredients in them.

Thanks for posting this Mandy - very interesting.

Love,
Kari

P.S. Tex - I totally agree with the salt water treatment, and use it as soon as I have any throat discomfort - hadn't thought of it "clearing the sinuses", but that sure makes sense.

[MBombardier]

Heard of it, but never wanted to try it. I would gag. It's kind of the same with the Gerson therapy. http://www.gerson.org They had me until they got to the coffee enemas.

[Zizzle]

I recently read about the benefits of brushing your teeth with olive oil. It was promoted as a way to improve oral health dramatically. I am skeptical, but I think I will give it a try. Can't hurt!
As for oil pulling, 20 minutes, 3 times a day seems like a great deal of effort for questionable results. I eat plenty of oil -- shouldn't that help wash away oral bacteria too?

[Zizzle]

So I started an oil pulling regimen last night, to weird results. I swished with olive oil for less than 10 minutes and it definitely looked like tons of bacteria came out in it. Then I brushed with baking soda, as mentioned on the Earth Clinic website. I woke up with mild sinus congestion for the first time in ages. So I oil pulled again this morning with coconut oil, and found myself spitting more mucus from my throat, etc. I'm wondering if it stimulates the lymph glands to clean out? Anyway, I'm going to do it once a day, first thing in the morning while I shower to make sure I'm swishing for at least 10 minutes. I plan to use coconut oil and sunflower oil (now available at Trader Joe's). Can't hurt!

Is anyone else doing it?

Here's the info I read:

http://earthclinic.com/Remedies/oil_pulling.html


I found this first comment enlightening:

03/28/2008: Molly from San Francisco, CA USA: "I've OPed for about three years now. And I've followed endless discussions about what it does and does not do. I now have a theory.

I don't think that OP "pulls" anything out of the system. What it does seem to do is infuse your body with EFA's sublingually (under your tongue) which enters the bloodstream bypassing gastric juices. I found a patent that uses oil as a transporter of medication for a sublingual medication. From what I read, Oleic Acid is commonly used for this transport.

It makes sense why some people have skin conditions clear up with OP. They are being dose with good oil.

Secondly, there is now do doubt that the health of your mouth is directly linked to your organ health. A well known biologist, a friend of my Dad, said he thinks that the bacteria in the mouth, the really bad stuff that forms plague, is very attracted to the acids in the oil. So it melts this bad stuff and then you spit it out. That's why your teeth get much cleaner than by conventional means, like alcohol based rinses.

And so, when you melt this bad stuff, you simply spit it out..buh bye.

Now, I think this is the major link to why people experience healing while OP. As your mouth is populating with all this nasty bacteria (or worse, infections), you are swallowing the stuff. That bacteria is attacking you internally. That is why some people have had heart attacks after a dental procedure, like a root canal, that infuses their body with nasty stuff. Yes, it can attack the heart and other vital organs.

OP simply removes it so that it cannot go anywhere else. Dr. Karach talked about curing a long time blood disease. Perhaps his dental health was very bad.

Add a drop of Oil of Oregano to your oil pulling for about a week every 3 or so months, and you have a powerful anti-bacterial agent to kill all this stuff. Oregano Oil is natures anti-biotic, so it should not be abused, and used just like you would a pharmaceutical anti-biotic.

All these theories I have come from a long time listening and discussing this modality.

OP is very gentle. It's just food for goodness sake! And I believe that it should be a common morning occurrence, just like brushing your teeth.

I've actually used it to get rid of sinus infections and lung infections. It has cut down on the time I am sick, but darn if I've hardly gotten sick since I've started OP. Also, my long time seasonal allergies are gone. If I do have any lung complaints, I OP back to back until I don't cough anything up anymore.

I have used (always unrefined and organic) Sesame, Sunflower, Walnut, Macadamia, coconut, Udo's Oil, Total EFA Oil....amongst others. My personal all time favorite is Sesame, hand's down. I have noticed that if you change your oil about ever two months, it's like a renewed therapy. Don't know why, perhaps your body is getting used to that particular EFA formula. But I have noticed that when I change, my teeth get whiter even more.

Thought I'd weigh in since I haven't been here for awhile. Actually, it was myself and Ms Kitty from Oregon that turned Earth clinic onto this some years back. I'm so pleased to see that this is still being discovered and that people are having such good results.

OP is a no-brainer. It's not dangerous, it can't pull stuff out of your body, like medication, it's simply swishing some "food" around your mouth. But what it does do is invaluable.

Keep Swishing!!"