[YEA]  02/07/2013: Samara from Manchester, Yorkshire, England: "Hi all, I am new to this site but I found it a few months ago during my journey and my search to better health which I started a long time ago. I came across earthclinic when researching alternative/natural remedies that I look for when I want to improve or add to my ongoing healthy lifestyle. I am a 43 yr old female, I live a very healthy lifestyle atm tho that wasnt always the case. I am 90% raw foodist, a non smoker, no alcohol, meat or fish. I call myself a non smoker because that is what I am, even though I smoked for 22 years. It has been 7 years since I stopped and smoking and drinking.

I came across oil pulling about 10 years ago and tried it, along with making my own toothpaste, but with other healthy ways taking precedence, oil pulling and making my own toothpaste kind of fell into disuse. I stuck to flouride free toothpaste for a time.

Now I am back again to oil pulling and I was serious about implementing it. After extensive research and reading and re reading I decided to buy some of the oil that called me and set about making my own toothpaste, but this time to make it and stick to it.

I have been using pure, organic, unrefined cold pressed sesame oil to pull every single morning and every nite before I sleep. I have slightly receding gums and some slight brown stains on my teeth from smoking for 22 years. My morning and evening ritual consists of oil pulling with the sesame oil while running the shower. Then when I step into the shower, I take another swig and oil pull for the entire duration of me washing my body. After I rinse my mouth out and the toothbrush I take my homemade toothpaste and smear it onto my brush and brush my teeth with it. I then take my home made mouthwash and swill and gargle and repeat that action, then swill again and rinse with clean water.

I oil pulled for 3 weeks before I made my toothpaste. ~the only thing I can say at the moment is that my teeth were and are still definately whiter, the stains are gradually fading. Thats great in itself! My toothpaste consists of very high grade non abrasive organic baking soda, some fine sea salt, 2 drops of peppermint essential oil, all mixed in with a little sesame oil which makes it a paste type consistency which I keep in the bathroom for my oral hygiene routine. The mouthwash consists of sterilised water from the kettle, with 2 drops of peppermint essential oil and 2 drops of tea tree oil which I shake before I gargle and swill twice. To finish I wanted to say my mouth feels absolutely amazing! The recipes I took from earthclinic site and from reading ppls posts. ~Even tho its a long post, I am unsure if all of it will get posted but thank you earthclinic for this brilliant site and to all the ppl who contribute to it."

06/05/2012: Catinthebag from Fort Collins, Colorado, Usa: "I started oil pulling about 6 months ago due to some health issues and wanted to give it time to see how it went before I posted my results. I used Unrefined Organic Sesame Oil and oil pulled every morning for 20 minutes.

Immediately I noticed that my teeth felt 'fresh from the dentist clean', my breath also seemed fresher and my teeth were whiter. This hasn't seemed to reduce any in the past 6 months, my teeth still feel & look good, in fact I just had my 6 month check-up and my dentist said "everything looks great, keep doing what you're doing" -- mind you, last time I had 4 cavities that had to be filled! Speaking of cavities, I have a lot of fillings in my mouth and have not noticed any problems with them coming loose.

The other thing I noticed is the actual act of oil pulling makes my sinuses drain like crazy which is inconvenient since my mouth is full but I make it work.

As for noticing any reduction with the health issues that I've had, I honestly can't say that I have noticed any improvement -- or any unimprovement -- either.

I've read different theories for why oil pulling works from it 'pulling nasty bugs from your body', to 'massaging acupressure points on your tongue' to simply 'swishing out the the mouth bacteria'. Personally, I think the swishing of bacteria out of your mouth makes the most sense, why it works, I don't know, maybe having your own saliva mixed in there with the oil helps break stuff down. I did find out that if you put a small amount of oil in a bowl and whisk it, it will turn white so I don't think waiting until the oil turns white to spit it out has any credence, I think some people are probably just better swishers than others .

As for me, I will continue to oil pull because I enjoy the routine and it seems to have some benefits and no detriments thus far."

[YEA]  05/19/2012: Coffeeplease from Quad Cities, Iowa, Usa: "I oil pulled with unrefined organic Sesame oil for one week. I had a severe gum infection for which I was also taking antibiotics, but no over the counter pain medication. I had swelling and pain. I also have severe gum disease and have already lost one tooth by simply falling out, and before oil pulling had two more teeth about 80% loose, nearly ready to fall out, to the point where I could no longer chew on one side of my mouth, and retired to the idea that I could only eat soft foods for as long as I had this set of teeth. Being my first time oil pulling I opted to take the antibiotics as my infection was severe and wasn't sure whether oil pulling alone could take care of it, however, I was pleasantly surprised with the sesame oil! It took away pain for hours, it reduced my swelling almost immediately also for hours, it firmed up my loose teeth to about 80% normal in just a few days. I could bite into burgers and chew on both sides again. I oil pulled 3 times a day for 20 minutes. I followed none of the recommended rules (OPing on empty stomach, etc) I also slept like a rock during that week. Eventually gum disease causes people to NOT brush their teeth because of the pain, and if they do it is not for very long, so pulling before brushing helps tons, especially 3 times a day (once being before bed)

My mistake was switching to coconut oil the next week. It may be as effective at killing bacteria but was not as effective for pain (with me) nor did it make my gums feel good like sesame did... To the point where I just quit doing it until I got sesame oil again- which was today. I want to finish completely firming up these two still slightly loose teeth, and put an end to this gum disease. I intend to OP with sesame for the rest of my life and try remineralizing my teeth (for decay) at the same time. I absolutely love it and am so thankful to have to have come across it."

[YEA]  04/29/2012: Randy San Antonio from San Antonio, Texas, Usa: "Having gone through some painful gum surgeries I was looking for methods of healing up my gums and restoring receding tissue. I happen across Earth Clinic and tried pulling sesame oil. It was pleasant enough and seemed to help so I did it twice a day for maybe 6 days when the headaches got too bad. Now it is my worst allergy time of year so I don't know if it was the pulling or the stuff in the air that was giving me grief. A day and a half later the headache gone I resumed pulling and noticed that my pants were loose around my waist so I stepped on the scale to discover I had dropped 8 pounds in about a week and a half. Now for the record, since my mouth was so sore I was drinking chocolate shakes for some of my meals. This is something I never do but the thought of something cold, rich and most importantly soft was too good to pass up so my caloric intake was much higher than normal. I also noticed the grey hair in my beard was turning brown again and my teeth are brighter - more prominent than before. My gums are pinker and more healthy looking and the cracks on my heals are gone. All in all I am happy with the progress I am making with sesame oil pulling.

I pull first thing in the morning and again before lunch or dinner. I have the feeling that pulling before I eat in the morning might be setting my metabolism higher then it would normally be and that is what is burning calories as well as giving me a feeling of more energy. I base this conclusion on the fact so many weight loss experts recommend you eat your biggest meal of the day when you break your fast. I follow my morning pull with a tbsp of coconut oil and eat my breakfast about two hours later. What will be interesting is if this weight loss is permanent or will my system get used to this and slow the metabolism down to plump me up again. (I am about 5 - 10 pounds over weight)

p. S. I have a mouth full of old silver filings and they are still in place.

Randy San Antonio"

[YEA]  03/06/2012: Jennifer from Chicago, Il : "1st my boyfriend tried OP he started almost 2 wks ago we noticed 1st the fresher breath then he noticed the dark pigmentation on his face clearing, his nails looking healthier, and his feet on the heels softer which before the callus was bad so I started on 04mar12 the immediate result that I experienced was a spurt of energy which usually in the am I am so restless and exhausted then I noticed the fresh breath and healthier looking nails only after 3 days of OP ~Wonderful~"

03/01/2012: Blac from Detroit, Mi Usa: "I recently had a bout of bronchitis. I noticed my tongue was coated from my detoxing. I was reading thru the oil pulling therapy comments and decided to try it with sesame oil. I forgot how well it works. My tongue is pink again. I think I'll do it on a regular basis and see what happens."

02/04/2012: Leaann from Vincennes, In.: "I did my first oil pulling this morning. My hope is for it to help me joint pain. But I also woke up with a toothache and I am hoping this can be resolved as well. I used Sesame Oil. After finishing, I immediately am experiencing some nasal stuffiness and mild drainage. The taste wasn't bad. Once I spit it out the taste reminded me of peanut butter.

I plan to use other remedies posted here and will report back my results."

02/03/2012: Joy from Harrisburg, Pa: "Have been OP with sesame for about a week now. It was tough at first, as I have a strong reflex to swallow. If I couldnt make it the full 15 minutes, I did it for 10 minutes twice that day spaced out. So far I have noticed good and bad properties. The good ones are that I don't seem to be getting the regular corner of the mouth cold sores I used to get on a very regular basis. I notice the stains on my teeth seem to be lessening. The bad is minor and is also attributed to being severely anemic and struggling with depression and unhealthy habits in general, however I am finding myself very tired A LOT.

Another thing to mention is that since the birth of my daughter 11 months ago I have had severe painful acne (and I have always been blessed with beautiful skin). I have started proactive recently, so it may be a combination of things (however I am more consistant with the oil pulling than I am with the proactive system), and I have noticed less large painful deep cystic type blemishes and an overall less red appearance to my face and neck.

I struggle with an addiction to cigarettes right now so I'm not sure how much the oil pulling will have a chance to work with such an addiction but I'm already noticing differences. Also reading about "health crisis" situations I don't feel really uneasy about that... I have been sick most of my life with any number of respiratory and throat issues so I rather welcome a full body purge!

I find that with OP if you just decide you are going to do it and stick with it, it gets easier. I try to distract myself with chores or email checking or read a good article about something that intrigues you... It starts to go faster than you realize!"

[YEA]  01/25/2012: Karen from Broomfield, Co, Usa: "I found this website and read about oil pulling. It was of interest to me because the last time I went for a dental cleaning the dentist suggested gum surgery for receeding gums. For the last few months (with breaks while travelling) I have swished organic, white, unrefined sesame oil in my mouth for less than one minute each evening and then spit it out. I know everyone says 5-10 minutes but that's not realistic for me (I will just avoid it) so I decided to do it for a minute or less after I brush and floss and while I am dressing for bed. Just had another dental cleaning today. Normal gums! The dentists didn't even want to measure the gums this time! This healed my gums with minimal time, little effort and little cost. AND to boot, it's helped me tremendously with my allergies. I know the die hard people will say 1 minute it too short but all I can say is that it's worked for me, big time!"

[YEA]  01/12/2012: Shannon from Desoto, Tx, Usa: "I've been oil pulling for about two weeks and am really pleased with the results. I began with coconut oil but found the texture and flavor to be off-putting. Once I switched to untoasted sesame oil, I found the process completely tolerable. I OP first thing in the morning for 20 minutes and have found the following results: My joints feel better (I have chronic knee and shoulder pain from degeneration), my teeth and gums feel like I've just been to the dentist for a cleaning, my skin is less dry and my muscles hurt less after re-starting to work out.

The best result is the healing of dermatitis. I have severe dermatitis in my ears. They continually itch from the outside all the way down into my ear canal. Not only is it uncomfortable, it's embarassing because of the constant flaking. After two weeks, I have minor itching externally with no flaking and no deep itch. It's as if my ears are healing from the inside out. I'm so thankful for this site and friends with great suggestions!"

[BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS]  01/08/2012: Mike from Wilmette, Usa: "I've tried oil pulling for a few months with some short breaks. I'm using cold processed sesame oil. I've noticed a lot of benefits (reduced psoriasis, more energy--great substitute for morning coffee) but one side effect. My teeth seem to get more sensitive to cold and hot. Very noticably so. Anyone else have this problem? Would switching oil types help? By the way, I switched from Whole Foods brand to Spectrum and noticed a big change in freshness and taste."

[YEA]  12/31/2011: Rosemary from White Rock, B.c., Canada: "I am a 55 y.o. female, blood type B-, and have only done oil pulling with sesame oil for about 2 weeks now and I am very pleased with the results. My teeth are cleaner, my skin looks youthful and my pores are smaller in the t- zone and am no longer struggling diverticulitis. I am also sleeping somewhat better. I experienced a small rash on my tongue from days 3 to 8 but it disappearred overnight. I love the information this site provides!"

[YEA]  09/24/2011: Miss. Burch from Brooklyn, N.y.: "I did the oil pulling with the sesame seed oil because I had a white coating on my tongue for years I could not get rid of and it worked wonders! I could tell a difference the same day I begin using it. I'm now on my third day and my tongue is nearly completely pink. I Love it! After I eat something, I check my tongue to see if the white coating has return and it have not. In the mornings, when I check it, it's still pretty in pinkish color! Again, I love this home remedy! So, thanks to whomever discovered this!!!"

[YEA]  09/03/2011: Christofer from Denver, Colorado - Usa: "I have been doing OP with sesame for less than two weeks. Not only do I sleep better, cut down on excessive urination especially at night, weight loss, just general wonderful feelings, but my libido has returned like crazy. I am 62, but have suffered from psoriatic arthritis for years, and have lost sexual vitality for over a decade. NOW. What has happened? I am walking around with increased circulation, desire of youth and awakening with erections. I am sure now that my entire state of health has been affected by conjested toxins, but oh my God. This is wonderful! Can you give me more theory, or explanation for this wonderful change?"