Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic holistic practice that has recently become increasingly popular. In simple terms, oil pulling involves putting a tablespoon of oil in your mouth, swishing for 20 minutes, and spitting it out to provide your body with a major detox. During this time, the oil travels around your mouth and pulls out the bacteria and toxins that have been hiding in your body. Sounds pretty straight forward, right? (And maybe a little weird and gross, but I promise you’ll be reaping the rewards later.)
The concept behind oil-pulling is pretty simple: the oil itself is “sticky,” and the bacteria and other toxins in your mouth becomes stuck to the oil and is dissolved or removed from your body once you’re done swishing. This practice promotes better oral and overall health, and has more crazy-good benefits than you can list on one hand. These benefits include significantly whitened teeth, fresher breath, strengthened gums and teeth, banished headaches and migraines (including hangovers—hallelujah), cleared sinuses, sounder sleep, and an overall detoxified body. Oil pulling may even help to control acne, eczema, and psoriasis.
So you want me to put what in my mouth? The kind of oil you can use for pulling varies. Most people who have experience with OPing (including myself) are die-hard coconut oil fans, but other vegetable based oils such as sesame, olive, or sunflower are good substitutes. Use what works for you! The main ingredient that helps coconut oil-based-pulling do its trick is lauric acid, which boasts extra anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. When coconut oil is enzymatically digested, it also forms a monoglyceride called monolaurin. Both lauric acid and monolaurin can kill harmful bacteria, fungi, and other pathogens. Whichever variety of oil you end up choosing, make sure to select brands that are unrefined and organic, as these varieties will produce greater results as they are composed of natural ingredients and often purer, higher levels of lauric acid.
The best part is how easy oil pulling is to do. Pick your oil and pour anywhere from a teaspoon to a tablespoon, depending on what you can handle. I’d recommend starting on the teaspoon end of the spectrum if you’ve never oil pulled before. Put your spoonful into your mouth and begin “pulling” the oil through your teeth. Make sure to NOT swallow any oil while you’re swishing—you don’t want to swallow all the bacteria and toxins that have now been pulled into the oil from your mouth. If you feel like you’re having a hard time not swallowing or feel like the oil is hitting the back of your throat, spit a little bit out and continue swishing. Most oil pullers recommend pulling for approximately 20 minutes, but if you can’t make it that long, feel free to start with a shorter duration and work your way up. Oil pulling can be somewhat of a workout, so don’t feel intimidated if you have to start with baby steps. You’ll be oil pulling like a pro in no time! Once you’re done pulling, spit out the oil into paper towel or a zip lock baggy. Don’t spit down the drain, as oils can solidify and could mess up your plumbing!
The rewards for oil pulling are pretty unmatched for such a holistic approach to detoxifying your body and promoting overall health. With benefits of significantly whitened teeth, fresher breath, strengthened gums and teeth, banished migraines and hangover symptoms, cleared sinuses, sounder sleep, controlled acne, and an overall detoxified body—what’s not to love?