26/09/2014
The Benefits of Oil Pulling: Why I Love It & How to Do It
For almost a year now, I’ve been religiously Oil Pulling each morning or, as my dad so humorously calls it, “having a pull”.
After my morning meditation I come downstairs to the kitchen where my dad has already got the coconut oil ready to go. When the mornings are chilly, we have to put the coconut oil jar in hot water for a minute so that it turns from a solid back into liquid.
I pour some oil onto a tablespoon, add a couple of drops of oregano oil (great anti-bacterial and anti-fungal oil) and spoon it into my mouth. Then I swish the oil around for 20 minutes while I sit outside on my daybed and read a book. This is the best start to the day!
An ancient Ayurvedic ritual, Oil Pulling was introduced to the modern world in 1992 by Dr. F. Karach, MD. He claimed that oil pulling could cure a variety of illnesses, ranging from heart disease and digestive troubles to hormonal disorders.
Oil pulling has many benefits. So many, in fact, that I bought a whole book on the topic called Oil Pulling Therapy: Detoxifying & Healing the Body Through Oral Cleansing by naturopathic physician Bruce Fife.
“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,” says Fife.
“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.”
