by Leon Phillips
Coconut oil pulling is rapidly becoming well known as a greatly beneficial practice to include in everyday routine. There is a huge list of conditions and ailments it has been known to cure and prevent.
Although there isn’t much scientific evidence around to back all of these miracle cures, however, there seems to be enough people out there who are claiming that it significantly helps with their dental hygiene as well as other conditions.
The coconut has been used in the tropical regions of the world for its beneficial health attributes for thousands of years, and now the Western world is catching onto this. Oil pulling is an ancient Indian Ayurvedic treatment.
They traditionally used sesame seed oil and sunflower oil but coconut oil seems to be a lot more effective and is a natural antimicrobial food, the main reason why it is so special. The oil from a coconut is especially good for destroying a whole range of microbes, including viruses and bacteria.
The ancient Indians generally used oil pulling to strengthen gums, teeth and jaws, as well as prevent tooth decay, bleeding gums, dryness of the throat, bad breath and cracked lips. Now it is used by thousands, mainly for the dental benefits but people also use it to help with certain skin conditions and other ailments. Coconut oil also is also high in “Medium Chain Fats”, with around 50% of those fats being Lauric acid.
Dr. Mercola says: “Lauric acid is well known for its antimicrobial actions and that there have been a number of recent studies showing the benefit of coconut oil in preventing dental tooth decay by inhibiting Strep Mutans which is the primary bacteria that causes dental tooth decay” (more info from Dr. Mercola about coconut oil pulling here).
As previously mentioned, there are many claimed health benefits of using coconut oil for oil pulling, and not just its dental health benefits.
Other health benefits of coconut oil pulling include:
- Promoting heart health
- Maintaining youthful and healthy looking skin
- Supporting a strong metabolism
- Supporting proper thyroid function
- Asthma
- Diabetes
- Migraines
- Insomnia
- Fatigue
- Joint pain / arthritis
- Supports healthy kidney function
- Detoxifying the body of harmful metals
- Reduces inflammation
Other health and nutritional information can be found here.
How to Carry Out Oil Pulling?
Oil pulling is as easy as it sounds but there are a few things you should and shouldn’t do.
First of all you need to invest in some coconut oil. The best kind is Organic Virgin Coconut Oil (cold process and chemical free). Then you take about one tablespoon of coconut oil in your mouth and use it as you would a normal mouth wash for around 20 minutes.
The best time to do this is as you wake up in the morning, before you eat / drink anything and before you brush your teeth. Be careful not to swallow any and do not gargle with it. The oil will be pulling out all the bad bacteria in and around your mouth. Swallowing this mixture wouldn’t be very beneficial for you.
If you happen to start experiencing slight jaw ache then you are putting too much effort into it. Just relax with it for around 20 minutes, gently swishing it around in your mouth.
When you are done then just spit it out down the toilet or bin, not a good idea to spit it down the sink or drain. Then rinse your mouth out with some water and then continue with the rest of your morning routine and brush your teeth
So to summarise:
- Invest in some quality coconut oil
- Take a tablespoon in the morning before your normal routine (brushing your teeth, breakfast etc) a good time to oil pull is while you take a shower
- Swish around in your mouth for around 20 minutes
- Spit out down the toilet or bin
- Rinse your mouth out with some water and continue with your morning routine and brush your teeth
The potential health benefits of oil pulling go far beyond the dental health benefits. People have reported of prompt relief from arthritis, diabetes and heart disease. Bruce Fife, naturopathic physician and expert in the healing effects of coconut, came up with an interesting and understandable analogy:
“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.”
(Leon Phillips has been researching the food and health industry for a substantial amount of years and is aiming to provide useful and informative articles to his readers. He prefers to write about holistic and alternative methods on how foods can help various illnesses and ailments and is all for a natural and healthy way of living.)
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