Oil Pulling: Unlock Natural Oral Health & Detox Benefits

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

I've been oil pulling over a year. Using varies organic extra virgin oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, sunflower oil, evoo, 20 minutes in the morning everyday. The result is great! No more bad breath, aches and pains. sleep better (used to be a light sleeper). No more cracked heels. Overall health improvement except my hair. I have very fine, thin hair and short, and used to be able to shampoo when needed, about twice a week. But after two months of oil pulling, I noticed my hair gets stringing and oily next day after wash, it wasn't dirty, smelly or itchy. it looks awful. my scalp is normal. I've tried all the remedies online recommended. that includes baking soda, acv, and dish detergent, nothing works. it only makes the scalp and hair dry because of the stuffs I used. I use rinse just to help smooth the hair for easy combing, not on the scalp. Does this happen to anyone? Any suggestion?

Hi Jonathan, according to Ayurveda where O.P. originated, RAW SESAME oil is used for best results. Good luck, Om

Do search engine on eskimos and their white/cavity free teeth. Their diet consists of seal oil which they put on foods and whale meat/innards. The whale & seal oil is high in Omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin d, vitamin a. I would look for the oil that is highest with these 3 for oil pulling-cod liver oil? The whale meat is probably chewed for a long time, and releases oil in the mouth, much like the oil pulling style, but more macular. When you look up the history of oil pulling it gives credit to india and asia going back 3000 years. It says nothing about any credit going to eskimos who go back at least 6000 years!!

Hi, I have been oil pulling for about 3 years now and it's wonderful I just had both bottom wisdom teeth out and can find no information about whether it is safe to oil pull after tooth extraction.... Can someone shed some light on this? Thanks

I am a 49 yo female. For the past year I've been steering away from processed foods, chemical additives in my products, etc. In other words, I'm eating REAL food and putting natural products on my body and in my house. It's sort of been fun but challenging to incorporate all of the changes in my life.

Now to my question. I have had about 8 metal fillings in my mouth for a very long time (some since I was a teenager). The last time I went to the dentist he had to replace one and put in something white...not silver. Anyway, I also grind my teeth pretty bad....so bad that I have a mouth guard that I sleep in. I have ground some of my teeth down pretty far. Many days I have a metally taste in my mouth --- although the dental hygienist said this could possibly be related to my perimenopause. Some days I have shooting pains or dull pains in my mouth.

I read about oil pulling and tried it several months back. I didn't notice any remarkable changes right away like some posters. I did enjoy doing it until I read that you should not OP with metal fillings in your mouth. So I quit after a few weeks. Today, however, I read that it's okay to do. With all of the conflicting information I've read I don't know if I should OP or not. Please advise.

Hi!

Am very interested in oil pulling for teeth care and helping with decay and cavities but am worried about silver or metal fillings maybe coming. Is there an oil I could use so I would not have to be concerned about fillings coming out? Thanks and please reply ASAP if possible as I want to get started immediately. Thanks,

William

Happy Holidays! I just discovered this site and just tried OP for the 1st time this morning with olive oil. Have had serious headaches.... migraines.... chronic sinus infections..... Aches and pains FOR YEARS. After drinking lots of water after OP'ing. Can I drink my apple cider vinager?

Kimberly, oil pulling never interfered with any other remedies for me.

Yes of course you should drink ACV - after you've OP'd of course. That will only help your cause immensely. Stick with the OPing as well, even if you find you're getting more headaches etc, that's the toxins leaving your body. But try other oils such as coconut, or walnut (they say that's the best one). I guess that all depends on your taste buds. Do the OPing twice a day at first, then go down to just the mornings.

Cj from New Zealand: oil pulling is an age old Ayurvedic method to remove toxins from the body. Even though almost everybody on EC uses other oils, the right oil is plain sesame oil. If research is done, it is stated that other oils are not as effective. Om

I've been trying oil-pulling for a week now and still cannot do more than a few minutes before I start gagging and need to spit. I've read all your tips and try to implement them but it hasn't helped yet. Is there any benefit from doing 3-4 minutes?

Yes, Shelly, even a few minutes each time (preferably twice a day) gives benefits.

I just started oil pulling also. The first time I tried I had to spit it out cause of the need to gag. The second time I tried it I MEASURED a Tablespoon of oil and it was indeed easier to handle. I do it about 10 to 15 min. Folks talk about how the liquid changes and it does. I see it more as my saliva 'digesting' the oil and in fact saliva does break down the oil in that manner. It was much easier since I measured the amount of oil I use. I just use motor oil (hahahaha...) no, I used olive oil because that is what I have available most of the time. ~jillery

Hello Jillery,

Re oil pulling...

If I could also add to make the experience more tolerable...use a high quality coconut oil. That is, if you like coconut.

Shelley,

Re oil pulling tolerance.

You and about everyone has to overcome the gag reflex. One has to be conditioned to tolerate. If one has the gag reflex then do NOT try to hold as long as you can. Instead, use a good tasting oil (coconut oil) and hold for only a minute. Ten minutes later, do it again...for only a minute. Then quit for a day. Next day, do it again but see if you can go two minutes but never go to the point when you are choking. Try to go a couple of times but never if you are getting nauseous from it. The point is to overcome the gag sensation is to gradually build a tolerance and you never force the issue on your reflexes.

There was some study done that said in order for oil pulling to have an effect, it must be done 19 minutes. I would take an amount that doesn't make you gag. Too much in a small mouth and it will cause gagging.

Hi, so I would assume oil pulling would not be a good idea to do while breastfeeding in case toxins and other gunk might start leeching their way out through my breast milk?

And another question, is there any way you can overly cleanse yourself through oil pulling and rid your body of the good bacteria inside? especially when some. Of the people on the forums of oil pulling are talking about cleansing your body out with apple cider vinegar first for about 2 weeks before starting oil pulling to have a lesser chance of having a herxheimer reaction. Soo idk how and when to jump into oil pulling.

Dear Krysten,

You asked about oil pulling and detoxing while breastfeeding. Is there something specific you wish to detox from, or just general detox? How old is your baby? With a young breastfeeding baby, I would be more cautious about detoxing. No matter what the age of your baby, you will want to take detoxing slowly and gently.

I think some gentle detoxing is okay with an older baby. Your body is detoxing in sense all the time. Your blood, kidneys, and liver are all working to keep your body clean. Drinking water is a form of detoxing and we do that daily.

I would say that no matter what you try, if you start having a strong reaction to stop or slow way down. Better yet, just take it slowly. If you start with Apple Cider Vinegar, take 1 teaspoon in 6 oz. of water for a few weeks. Gradually work up to 1 Tablespoon in 8 oz. of water each day. At some point, if you add oil pulling, try it with 1/2 Tablesppon of oil for 5 minute a day. Maybe move up to 1 T. for 10 minutes a day.

I have used Apple Cider Vinegar all through pregnancy and breastfeeding. I have done oil pulling while nursing a toddler. I have never noticed any reaction in my children. At the same time, I have never done any detoxing during pregnancy or breastfeeding that have ever caused me to have strong (herx type) symptoms.

Hope that helps!

~Mama to Many~

I did oil pulling for 20 minutes for my first time today. Was this too long and should I notice any side effects?

Hi. I want to get started with oil pulling. I remember reading here a good while back that it can make you sick, if your body is not ready for it, and that you can get it "ready" with baking soda? I'm reading around here, and can't find that general information. Thank you, oh wonderful, EC.

Thank you so much, I just discovered this site and oil pulling. I have used plain EVOO not organic is this okay?I have been doing OP for 2days. Yesterday before I started to do yoga I had a coughing fit and kept coughing up phelgm and it lasted for 15min. I kept spitting out lots of phelgm. I did my yoga at about 9pm.

That has never happened before, is it from the OP and by the way I stopped smoking on Friday. I thought about the connection... I drank half a shot glass in the morning, after I read about OP. This was mid-morning and today about noon. I thought about the coughing maybe it does have to do with the smoking.

@Timh from Ky, Usa

Thank you so much for your answer, I was so worried in the thought of quitting oil pulling, as I think it has an overall positive effect on me. I will follow immediately your advice. I have oregano and clove oil available. Shall I add 2-3 drops in the coconut/sesame/olive oil I use for oil pulling everytime? How often shall I use it, and how often should I use hydrogen peroxide as mouth wash? I take good care of my mouth but nothing seems to work (even my gum recession seems worse). I have no pain. Shall I wait for better results soon? or go to the dentist as soon as possible.

Thank you again. Wishing you all the best

@Jannis: As for adding herbals to the oil pull, I personally began adding Grapefruitseed Liquid Concentrate to my oil for pulling with very good results. After about 15 or 20 pulls the infection in the gums seems mostly gone so I am now cutting way back on the Grapefruitseed. Same with Hydrogen Peroxide; after about 10 swishes with 3% H2O2 (one a day) the need drops to maybe once per weak.

As for infections, the most likely culprit is Candida or Fungal so there is lots of info on treating that here on E.C., but hopefully the herbs I suggested will work fine for you. Extracts will be best.

Your gratitude is most appreciated and do keep us updated as to your progress.

@Timh, I have both remedies in hand, so I am gonna use them as soon as possible.

I cant help thanking you again, for giving me a prospective continuing oil pulling treatment. I was really stuck what I shall do next.

Of course I will inform you about the progress in my teeth/gum situation. I owe that to you and to everyone in earthclinic community. I wish I will have good news to share. My best regards.

Hello, to everybody. As I mentioned, I've been oil pulling with different oil (coconut, olive, sesame) for nearly three months now, and I really love it. The problem is that I noticed heavy gum recession and dark stains in my teeth (between teeth and the inside sides on my front teeth)

The dark stains must have come from nicotine and nothing seems to remove them.

I am also drinking AVC, 2 tbsp twice daily also for 3 months

I tried what @timh suggested swishing with peroxide and grapefruit seed extract for 2 weeks but it has not worked satisfactory. (My teeth seem a little whiter but the stains are still there and gum recession is worsening). Thank you very much @Timh for your interest I hope you have another method for me to try :).

Now I am gonna quit Acv, to see if that had something to do with my problems. I am gonna keep oil pulling and gonna keep swishing with peroxide. I don't wanna go to the dentist, I will keep trying solve the problem with home remedies.

Sorry for the long post. Wishing you all the best. Any ideas would be appreciated for fighting the stains and recession

Dear Jannis, I am not sure about the stains... But I have something that I am trying for receding gums that seems to be working. I have one tooth from which the gum has been receding for a decade or two. I started using a homemade tooth powder for brushing twice a day. (I don't use toothpaste, just the powder.) My receding gum is looking less receded. I am hopeful that it will be fully healed over time.

Here is my recipe:

1 part myrrh gum powder
1 part black walnut powder
1/2 part cayenne pepper
1/2 part goldenseal root powder

I mix it up and put my damp toothbrush in it and brush. It doesn't taste good and feels very spicy the first few times. But now it feels refreshing to me and my mouth feels very clean. Black walnut is very good for the enamel of your teeth. The cayenne brings the blood for healing (Don't floss right after brushing or you will bleed!) The goldenseal helps with infection. Myrrh is antiseptic. You could do just mix equal parts of cayenne and goldenseal root or even just brush with cayenne. Lalitha Thomas, in her book, Ten Essential Herbs recommends that last two things for receding gums and has found them to be effective.

I have read the brushing with activated charcoal powder is good for whitening teeth. You could add one part of that to the mix. I have done that in the past, but it really makes a mess of the sink, even worse than the above recipe. Let us know what helps you!

~Mama to Many~

You must first remedy the problem of toxicity in the body and the first place to begin is the colon. Do a colon cleanse and you must improve; here's a link: https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/colon-cleansing.html.

If you were or are a smoker, you will also need to cleanse the lungs. The single most effective way to accomplish this is nebulizing hydrogen peroxide. The H2O2 oxidizes that black tar on contact.

I had one front tooth to become noticiably stained and the general 3% H2O2 swishing didn't clear so I began applying 35% H2O2 w/ a cotton swab. It's time consuming but 5 or 10 min a day for a week cleared my stain quite effectively.

Hope this helps.

Is it okay to use raw organic hemp oil for oil pulling?

Hey guys!!! I just discoved this site a few days ago and wow!!! This is amazing-- all these super easy amazing cures I never knew about! Anyway, I'm just wondering, if I start oil pulling, should I not brush my teeth with regular tooth paste after? Would it be better if I used something like baking soda, or should I just rinse my mouth out after? Thanks!!!

Your teeth have been cleaned by OP so not nessessary to brush to be clean but it will get the oil and yuck out of your mouth. Stay away from flouride toothpaste, bad news, get a natural one without it or just use soda and water. I just use water and my brush after I pull.

I was wondering if black seed oil would be desirable for oil pulling?

Hi, Do you have to do the oil pulling at a certain time of day or can I do it anytime as I'm not very good in the mornings. Does it have to be organic?

DearAlan,

Would you like to explain the mechanism of oil pulling, it will be a great help.

Thank you very much!

Could anyone tell me if oil pulling will pull mercury out of the fillings in your teeth. I have been eating coconut oil 2 T a day to help with parkinson symtoms, and worry about metals and my health, I have 10 mercury fillings. I was considering oil pulling.

Gigi, as Ted once said: oil pulling might only pull out defectively applied tooth fillings. Otherwise you can oil pull with fillings.

Hi Ted: If sublingual meds are more readily absorbed how can it be, when OP, we are not absorbing more of the toxins we are swishing around in our mouth? Thanks for your help.

Hello, I am an extremely healthy 39 year old (I'm an acupuncturist and herbalist) with terrible gum recession (but no redness, swelling, or inflammation, and perfect hygiene). I had braces as a teenager, and my recession started shortly after. A month ago, I found out I had two deep pockets (one 7mm and one 8mm) and the periodontist scheduled me for surgery on May 24th. I'm trying to close the pockets and reverse the recession in order to avoid surgery and heal my gums. So, I started oil pulling (just under one month ago). 20 minutes twice per day. I also started brushing and flossing after each meal, instead of flossing only once per day and brushing 2-3 times per day.

After week 1, I started having some tooth pain, deep in the roots. After week 2, that pain got more severe. By week 3, I started feeling very upset... That something is wrong... I should not have 24/7 tooth pain for two weeks! I had never had that kind of tooth pain before. So I stopped oil pulling and went back to flossing only once per day and brushing twice per day (I am using Ecodent natural tooth powder), thinking maybe I was over-treating.

The pain is unrelentless. Although I have not oil pulled for 3 days, my teeth still hurt (the upper and lower front teeth). They have hurt pretty much constantly for two and a half weeks. Also, it seems like my recession is worse. This has me extremely upset, and depressed for the first time in my life.

Can you help explain what is happening? It feels that oil pulling has made my condition worse and caused unrelentless pain that I never had before.

By the way, I have one amalgam filling in a molar towards the back and one non-amalgam filling in a molar on the other side (I have had two cavities in my lifetime).

Thanks in advance for your insights.

I put some baking soda and coconut on in my bite guard and stuck it on my teeth and the sensitivity called down and I notice my teeth and gums went tight on me.

It was weird - like the teeth were more crowded together and the gums were all pulled up on them. I plan to be more careful with the baking soda, I had used the coconut oil in the guard a few times before and it seemed to loosen the guard on the sides... with no soda and they seemed relaxed, not tight.

I don't oil pull but the coconut oil has been miraculous. White, clean, less sensitive.

Dear Aq from Oakland, I'm sorry you are in so much pain. I have treated gum swelling and pain from wisdom tooth movement successfully with pure peppermint oil or pure clove oil on numerous occasions. I apply with Q-tip to all my gum lines and especially to the affected area.

However, I don't have a pocket, amalgam fillings or do regular oil pulling so I cannot speak directly to those concerns. All I know is the pure essential oil application takes away my pain within 15-20 mins. Also if you have an infection I believe both of these oils are good anti microbials. I brush with baking soda and 3% hydrogen peroxide and my gums seem much happier for it. I see new enamel growing since switch away from regular toothpaste.

I hope this helps and you feel well again soon!

I don't think new enamel grows back..... You've got what you've got.

Could be the type of oil. If it is a liquid bottled in plastic, that could cause problems. I've only been OP for a couple weeks but am very happy with the results reducing my sensitivity. I use coconut oil. It is in plastic but it is not in liquid form so I assume there is less absorption of the toxins.

Hi Kathy from Sadville, I would never use oil in plastic. I'm using Spectrum organic, bottled in glass.

Thanks for your response!

AQ

AQ, I forgot to mention the oil could be rancid. On the news there was a report about our food supply being diluted with cheaper ingredients. Olive oil and tea were mentioned. I had purchased a brand named, more expensive extra virgin olive oil in an amber glass bottle because I thought it was pure and safe but it was not. I returned it to the store and did not have any trouble getting my money back. You might want to look into the oil you purchased. I have noticed such sensitivity reduction with the CO I recommend you get some and give it a try. I take a spoonful and do my swishing while I watch the news (I'd watch it 24/7 if I could), do my housework or while I am looking up something on the PC. The time goes by quickly.

Lastly, if you do not eat animal protein you are not getting what you need to replace and rebuild what is being broken down due to aging wear and tear. I'm sure you must be aware that next to water, protein is the most plentiful substance in the body. It sounds to me like you may be vegetarian and/or you take multiple supplements. All of our food has been genetically modified in one way or another and, in my opinion the binders, fillers, and /or capsules could be destroying what you feel you are helping. I have learned what foods provide the nutrients I need and try to use food as my medicine. The problem is that food is not what it used to be. Just for the record, I'm old enough to be your mother, I have amalgam fillings and crowns. The only place I have gum recession is where I did not brush properly as a youngster and I had used a hard bristled brush. I eat animal protein (that has to be weighed and limited now due to what the edible critters are being fed) and I try to keep my weight at 100lbs. It is a little more difficult because I have to limit my meat & eggs and I'm not as active as I used to be. I used to jog three miles a day and worked out at a spa several days a week.

Kathy, thought I might add that eating or supplementing Liver would help restore minerals as well as Vit-A. The only other food with appreciatible amounts of (preformed) Vit-A is Eggs.

Hi Timh, I used to eat three eggs a day but, to make a very long story short, I learned that chickens are being fed genetically modified grains and grasses. It makes them fatter, harder to digest and the eggs they produce are no longer nutritionally balanced. After being contacted by someone in a consumer group and watching a PBS special about our food I started looking for "free-range" dairy cows, cattle and chicken. There is no such thing because they're all being fed GMO's and, I feel, this is why there is such a weight problem. My husband and I became aware of THAT meat, milk and eggs being harder to digest. It had me in debt for awhile too. Going back to what was considered not so safe is safer after all and eating raw fruits and vegetables has become more deadly because they have been engineered to last longer... Disease or droubt resistant and very hard for us to digest. Organics are no longer safe. You just have to get used to smaller portions because you don't know to what degree the food has been tainted.

Between a rock and a hard place, you have to decide what's best for you. Cook food too long and you create more MSG which can stimulate some nerve cells to death. Don't cook it long enough and and your body has a hard time assimilating it.

This has been done in a peicemeal rush and I don't know if I've made sense.

Timh--I should have added "eggs" when I suggested cooking veggies 'til tender to eat with animal protein. I thought that could be assumed from my remark about reducing my meat and egg consumption. I've gone from eating three extra large eggs a day to one or two medium at least once a day, sometimes twice. BTW, I noticed that the eggs in the cardboard cartons have a richer yellow/orange yolk so I only purchase those.

Kathy: Your post was quite sufficiently organized, so you must be doing fairly well.

Not just the GMO's but growth hormones and antibiotics are used in our "factory farms". After watching Food Inc, I was disappointed that the producers & director of the movie simply took the "organic" and "humane" side of the problem, and totally neglected the real issue of feeding a booming population of (too many) people. It's obvious that our "little" planet can only sustain so many people, and the reality is now kicking in, especially in the declining health of the animal inhabitants.

Not for everybody, but an eco-friendly solution of sustainable and healthy food production is Aquaponics. Check out "Back Yard Liberty" for more information on micro-farming.