Oil Pulling: a Cheap, Easy and Effective Solution to Your Health Woes? Modern Research Says “Yes”

oil-pulling_2By  Carolanne Wright

Contributing Writer for Wake Up World

Dating back thousands of years in Ayurvedic medicine, oil pulling may seem like an unlikely curative miracle due to its simplicity. Yet practitioners of the therapy laud its effectiveness in healing everything from AIDS to diabetes, heart disease to leukemia. Testimonials aside, scientific research has shown oil pulling can vastly improve the condition of the gums and teeth by reducing dental bacteria, viruses and fungi – which in turn fosters overall health.

Oil Pulling Basics

Oil pulling is a technique where a tablespoon of oil (sesame, coconut, olive or sunflower) is moved around the mouth and through the teeth with a swishing motion for 20 minutes, one to three times per day. The premise behind the therapy is that oil attracts various pathogens in the mouth which are then suspended within the liquid and subsequently spat out. The oil also seeps into hard to reach pockets below the gum line where damaging bacteria tend to thrive.

Health Harming Oral Pathogens

Even with the best dental hygiene, germs can still get the upper hand over health. When our oral condition is in bad shape, it effects every system of the body. Take for instance cognitive decline. According to  GreenMed Info, periodontal disease has been linked with stroke and cognitive impairment in numerous studies.  Attikon University Hospital  in Greece showed a clear correlation between periodontal disease and stroke. Likewise, theUniversity of Alabama School of Dentistry  discovered in a 9,853-participant study that tooth loss was strongly connected to  cognitive decline.

Furthermore, bacteria such as  Streptococcus mutans  multiply within the mouth and secrete toxins into the bloodstream, thereby causing inflammatory disorders like heart disease. As reported by naturopath Case Adams in  Cognitive Decline Linked to Periodontal Disease:

“A late 2011 study from the School of Dentistry at Italy’s  University of Cagliari  studied forty men between 20 years old and 40 years old. Half of the men had periodontal disease and the other half did not. The researchers tested the subjects for parameters indicating developing cardiovascular disease among both groups.

The  research  found that the periodontal disease patients had higher levels of inflammation-associated IL-2. This suggested to the researchers, “the existence of an early endothelial dysfunction in young adults with atypical periodontitis.”‘

Oil pulling has been scientifically shown to substantially reduce problematic  Streptococcus mutans  bacteria.  Global Healing Center  states:

“Another study [published in the  African Journal of Microbiology Research], conducted in 2008 found a “remarkable reduction in the total count of bacteria” in the mouth, and an overall marked reduction in susceptibility dental cavities. The antibacterial activity of sesame  oil  was also studied and found to have an effect on the  Streptococcus mutans  in the mouth. In fact, these studies showed an overall reduction of bacteria from 10 to 33.4 percent in participants, and after 40 days of oil-pulling, participants were found to show 20 percent in average reduction in oral bacteria.”

Additional Benefits

Not only does oil pulling boost oral, cognitive and cardiovascular health, but it also heals a host of other conditions. Mike Barrett of  Natural Society  reports:

“… Dr. F. Karsch, M.D., presented a paper to the All-Ukrainian Association outlining rather incredible possibilities  oil pulling  is capable of. Going by Dr. Karsch, oil pulling benefits can help with almost any illness or chronic condition, including:

Mouth and gum disease; stiff joints; allergies; asthma; high blood sugar; constipation; migraines; bronchitis; eczema; heart, kidney, lung diseases; leukemia; arthritis; meningitis; insomnia; menopause (hormonal issues); cancer; AIDS; chronic infections; varicose veins; high blood pressure; diabetes; cracked heels; acne, arthritis; bronchitis; dermatitis; sinusitis; and many more.”

Sources for this article include:

http://www.greenmedinfo.com

http://naturalsociety.com

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/oil-pulling/#3

http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/article%20oil%20pulling.htm

http://www.jonbarron.org/article/oil-pulling-detoxing

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

http://academicjournals.org/AJMR/PDF/Pdf2008/Mar/Anand%20et%20al.pdf

Previous articles by Carolanne:

About the author:

Carolanne Wright

I’m Carolanne — a writer, chef, traveler and enthusiastic advocate for sustainability, organics and joyful living. It’s good to have you here. If you would like to learn more, connect with me at Thrive-Living.net or visit Twitter.com/Thrive_Living.

Please note this article was first published on Natural News.


If you've ever found value in our articles, we'd greatly appreciate your support by purchasing Mindful Meditation Techniques for Kids - A Practical Guide for Adults to Empower Kids with the Gift of Inner Peace and Resilience for Life.

In the spirit of mindfulness, we encourage you to choose the paperback version. Delve into its pages away from screen glare and notifications, allowing yourself to fully immerse in the transformative practices within. The physical book enriches the learning process and serves as a tangible commitment to mindfulness, easily shared among family and friends.

Over the past few years, Wake Up World has faced significant online censorship, impacting our financial ability to stay online. Instead of soliciting donations, we're exploring win-win solutions with our readers to remain financially viable. Moving into book publishing, we hope to secure ongoing funds to continue our mission. With over 8,500 articles published in the past 13 years, we are committed to keeping our content free and accessible to everyone, without resorting to a paywall.