Here at Health Scams Exposed, our primary focus is alerting you to all the conventional health scams out there that could harm your health. Over the past couple of weeks, however, I’ve received multiple emails with questions about the safety and validity of certain natural practices.
The most common question being, “Is oil pulling a scam?”
Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic technique of swishing certain oil in the mouth that claims to be a cure-all for a wide variety of diseases.
Whenever any new (or rediscovered) natural health technique promises to “cure” everything from migraines to cancer, it’s time to do a little research. If you don’t, you’ll get taken for a ride by somebody just looking to sell you something. There is no one product or technique on earth that can solve all of your health problems. If there was, everybody would be taking it and we would have no disease.
In this article, we’ll take a realistic look at the research and tell you the truth about oil pulling.
Scientific Study Proves Oil Pulling Reduces Gingivitis
According to a study published by the Indian Journal of Dental Research, oil pulling seems to have a marked effect in reducing the symptoms of gingivitis. Among the teenagers who participated in the study, oil pulling therapy showed a significant reduction in the plaque index, modified gingival scores, and total colony count of aerobic microorganisms.
The oral health benefits of oil pulling make sense. You’re basically using a thick natural substance that pulls through your gums and teeth and removes debris. You can’t help but remove excess toxins by doing this regularly. In addition to treating gingivitis, oil pulling has been shown to whiten teeth, freshen breath, and reduce general gum inflammation.
The “Domino Effect” of Oil Pulling
The reason oil pulling has so many health benefits associated with it is because it thoroughly detoxifies your mouth. Most people do not realize it but poor oral hygiene has a profound effect on the entire body. Periodontal disease has been shown to increase the risk for the development of diabetes, heart disease, dementia, and rheumatoid arthritis.
If your gums are swollen, red, and bleeding, your immune system will constantly have to work at keeping you from developing serious infection. Eventually, this fight can lead to compromised immunity and, over time, the inability to effectively prevent more serious disease.
Oil pulling works by reducing plaque and disease-causing microorganisms, keeping your mouth healthy and fresh so it can’t continue to fill the rest of your body with toxins. This is how the miracle of oil pulling rumors got started. People started doing it to whiten their teeth or freshen their breath and suddenly noticed they no longer had that “all over” sick feeling. Headaches disappeared. Sinuses cleared up. Acne went away. Thus, a new natural health sensation began.
This doesn’t have to do so much with the presence of the oil in the mouth so much as the body’s increased ability to heal itself due to this detoxification process. This is the domino effect of oil pulling.
How to Do Oil Pulling Properly
1) Oil pull open waking, before eating, drinking or brushing
2) Use 1-2 teaspoons of sesame or coconut oil
3) Mix a drop of clove oil (optional-good for gum pain)
4) Swish gently for 20 minutes
5) Spit the mixture into the toilet or trash (could clog sink)
6) Rinse your mouth with warm water
7) Brush as usual
5 Most Talked-About Health Benefits of Oil Pulling
While there aren’t a lot of scientific studies on the subject of oil pulling, hundreds of oil pulling enthusiasts claim that the practice does work and has been very beneficial to them. I looked at dozens YouTube videos and perused multiple high-profile blogs.
Here are the most talked-about benefits of oil pulling:
- Healthier mouth
Oil pulling most definitely clears up gingivitis and removes excess plaque. Most avid oil pullers claim they’ve been able to see benefits in as little as a couple of days. Even those with sensitive gums and teeth notice their gums are now pink instead of red and their gum pockets have gotten smaller.
- Clearer sinuses
If you have chronic post-nasal drip, regular oil pulling may be the answer you’ve been looking for. According to a published study, patients with periodontal disease have a two-fold risk of developing chronic sinus problems. The reduction of plaque and chronic inflammation is likely the cause of this reduction in post-nasal drip.
- Whiter teeth
The jury is still out on whether or not oil pulling can successfully whiten teeth. For some, white teeth are a side effect. For others, there isn’t much of a difference. My belief is that it depends on why your teeth are yellow. Oil pulling doesn’t seem to be able to remove those deep, set-in stains but will clean the surface of your teeth, giving them a whiter, healthier sparkle.
- Clearer skin
Acne breakouts are usually an indicator that your body needs some good detoxifying. From most of what I’ve read, those who tried oil pulling noticed a slight worsening of their symptoms and then an eventual clearing as they continued the practice.
- Inflammation reduction
Cleansing your system of toxins can also help reduce body-wide inflammation. Many users have reported a noticeable reduction in the symptoms of pain from chronic conditions.
So there you have it. Oil pulling isn’t a scam. Even if you were to experience no noticeable benefits, it’s one of the safest natural remedies to experiment with.
I only have two cautions:
1) Don’t swallow it
2) Don’t expect a miracle cure
Chronic conditions are best treated in a holistic way. This means through a healthy diet, high-quality supplements, lifestyle modifications, natural remedies and practices, stress reduction, and plenty of sleep.
*****Recommended Research*****
Learning More About Effective Oil Pulling
Obviously, there is only so much we can cover in our articles each week. However, if you’d like to learn more about oil pulling and how to use it effectively… I strongly urge you to check out: Oil Pulling Secrets by Neil Penn
This comprehensive guide covers the science behind it as well the ailments and conditions it treats. It will also show you the best techniques for effective and successful oil pulling.
