Oil Pulling
Health Benefits

Oil Pulling: Unlock Natural Oral Health & Detox Benefits

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Side Effects
Posted by Katie (Albany, Ny) on 03/09/2011

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

Hi Irene, in my experience you can oil pull until you develop teeth sensitivity.

I caught a pretty nasty cold within a week of oil pulling. Not being sure if it was a cold or some nasty detox coming up through a sore throat and wet cough, I decided to take the Saturday off for oil pulling as much as I could for a sort of hyper internal cleaning. I would oil pull 20 min with coconut oil, rince well, 20 min sesame oil, salt water gargle and nose wash, then drink a warm mug of water with apple cider vinegar and honey. Then set the timer for an hour, and after that repeat. I managed to do this 5 times total that day, with no side effects. That's a total of 10 oil pulls.

My teeth started getting a lot whiter at the edges, in some teeth more obviously than others. The main battle was to not sneeze or cough while oil pulling usually about 5-7 min that always went away and the rest of the time it would be fine.

Where I messed up the next day was adding Oregano oil to help even more as I was getting impatient. I overdid it and my teeth started to feel sensitive. I stopped oregano, and will never add more than one drop.

It's been a few days after my marathon of oil pulling, and while I still have the cold it's nowhere near as bad as what a couple of my friends at school were going through recently.

After all that, I believe the first symptoms of too much oil pulling will be right there in how your teeth feel.


Broad Benefits
Posted by Bluebelle (Various, EU) on 03/04/2011
★☆☆☆☆

Hello,

what I'd like to know is why I never get any sort of effect, bad or good, after oil pulling.

I have been doing this on and off (mostly "off" :)) for five years now. I've used mostly cold pressed sesame oil for periods of 10 days or so, and coconut oil for periods lasting a week or so.

I kept swishing it around my mouth for half an hour every day.

Now, I know that a week or 10 days is an awfully short time... But after reading many testimonies, here and elsewhere, I've noticed that people started noticing effects right away or after a few days, at the latest.

In fact, the only reason I stopped doing it was because of a total lack of effects, bad or good.

I am very attuned to my body, so I would have noticed even subtle changes.

And I always buy high quality oils (and everything else), so it couldn't have been that.

It is true that I appear to be very healthy. I haven't had a cold since 1999, haven't been to a doctor's office since the early 1980s, have no aches or pains, very good skin and hair, and apparently look more than 10 years younger than I am (I know this because I've actually overheard people talking about me ; )).

But I find it difficult to believe that there would be no toxins in me, because I've been smoking 30 cigarettes a day for years now. :)

I do not cough or anything, my skin looks fabulous, but I am sure there is something that could come out in the open, if oil pulling really works, even after only a week or 10 days?

Anyway, I am going to give it another try starting today. I'll be using unrefined coconut oil. I intend to post again in a few weeks.

Dental Issues
Posted by Mare (Mechanic Lake, New Brunswick, Canada) on 03/02/2011
★★★★★

Hello,
Started oil pulling Feb 7th. I found it on internet was intriqued and looked into it. I figured it wouldn't hurt me. I tried EVOO. I have a strong reflux so it took a couple of attempts. I noticed a difference with my teeth after 2 days. Stains gone and when I woke up in the am no plaque. Amazing! I kept it to myself, I had a dentist app on the 28th and wanted to know what he thought. He was quite impressed. Said he never saw my gums ever look so healthy. Hardly any plaque, no sensitivity and healthy gums. He said he would look into it and wrote this website down. I have tired coconut oil, but enjoy it better in my coffee and on my skin and hair. My question at long last, I just started sesame oil, and have noticed a smell like wood burning, frequently. Has anyone experienced any strong smells? It seems to be always there. Appreciate your feedback!

Broad Benefits
Posted by Jeanna (San Jose, Ca) on 02/26/2011
★★★★★

I began oil pulling (cold pressed sesame oil) about four weeks ago. I have to say that I feel much better all around. My reflux has all but disappeared, although my stomach still feels turbulent and like its burning at times. Now my tongue is becoming more pink (was white and dry for 20 years and caused a foul taste), my skin is soft and supple and I have more energy. My appetite has also become more regulated. It feels as though toxins are being removed from my body. I have also modified my diet, cutting out refined sugar where possible and reducing my starch intake. All these years, I think I have had a candida problem. It has not completely gone away, but I feel as though I am making progress. The doctors were not able to help me with my white tongue, fatigue, and intestinal problems (primarily relux). I am glad to have found this site. Kudos to the old-time remedies!


Broad Benefits
Posted by Richard (Chertsey, United Kingdom) on 04/20/2011

@Metou

Glad to see you've committed yourself to this alternative treatment however I felt it was important that I point something out to you.

Many professionals who treat with alternative remedies for example homeopathic doctors, will tell you that anyone who has been using conventional medication/treatments for a long period of time will have accumulated symptoms over symptoms. Basically creating one symptom to mask over another. This is how the pharmaceutical companies treat the ill. They don't CURE the patient, instead they remove the symptom and this usually creates new symptoms which they call side-effects. Side-effects is a clever word because in reality they are just EFFECTS, nothing more, nothing less. These EFFECTS keep the profits coming in. Anyone who has been using conventional treatments for a long period of time will have accumulated many, many, MANY symptoms which are all a follow on symptoms from an original problem they had. Even if they seem completely unrelated this is still the case.

So, as you mentioned in your post, you now have painful lymph nodes under your arms and you say you USED to have this problem before but not as bad as you do now. Well, the way I'm interpreting this is you have managed to get yourself BACK to the original problem where all your medical problems stem from. My advice would be to now visit a homeopathic doctor and explain your full situation because you will now need a homeopathic doctor to cure your Lymph nodes. Once these are cured you will have freed yourself from the pharmaceutical practices. In a sense, you should be incredibly happy that this Oil Pulling has restored your health, located and singled-out your original SOURCE problem.

Nobody but you can make the next choice but if I was you I would stay away from the pharmaceutical treatments because they will just do the same all over again. They may make your Lymph nodes disappear faster but they are NOT curing them by any stretch of the imagination... Instead they will just replace this symptom with another and keep building and building on it with more and more problems.

It all makes perfect sense when you understand. Because you never cured you Lymph nodes when you last had them, they never really went away and over time they have gotten worse. They may not of been visible to you because the pharma companies just hid them from you and gave you other symptoms to worry about instead. Its so so sad when you think about all the people who rely on them for good heath. These people will NEVER get back their peak health until they manage to reverse all the symptoms they've ever had to get back to the SOUCE problem.

People are not supposed to be sick or ill, naturally, this is supposed to be very rare but the public's heath has become a profit based business and they want people to think that being sick/ill is very common and perfectly normal. Speak to any indigenous person about this and they will paint a very VERY different truth for you. :-)

Keep up with the OIL PULLING because now your lymph nodes have returned and reared their ugly head again, this will now begin to fight them so by continuing with this and seeking advice from a homeopathic doctor, you will finally get back your well deserved good health and rid yourself of the evil big pharma's pyramid of symptoms... Actually, very quickly, that's a brilliant way of explaining what conventional medicine does! Picture a reversed pyramid with your medical problem at the bottom point, the pharmaceutical companies push their patients further and further up the pyramid making their symptoms broader and broader. Can you picture it? Its very wrong isn't it? Almost Evil really!

I hope I've helped you :-)
Bless you.


Side Effects
Posted by Juliet (Nashville, Tn) on 12/31/2010

Hi Theresa, My understanding of a healing crisis is that it only lasts a few days (like no more than 3). If it lasts longer than that it is not a healing crisis- it means that your body isn't in need of that particular treatment at this time. I started oil pulling with coconut oil and my skin broke out and stayed broken out for a couple weeks while oil pulling and everytime I tried after that. I stopped. Got some energy healing work done and then tried again a month later and it helped. Another thing is maybe sesame oil is not the best oil for you. You might want to try a different oil.


Chronic Sinusitis, Loss of Smell
Posted by Michelle (San Francisco, Ca, Us) on 12/30/2010
★★★★★

OP and Chronic Sinusitis, Loss of Smell

Hello, I began oil pulling about 10 days ago. I do it about 2x's per day, once with sesame and once with coconut each session for 15 minutes. I have a chronic (for years) postnasal drip and loss of smell (2 years) about 4 days into op a huge (this is so gross, sorry) congealed mass of mucous came from somewhere deep in my sinuses. Followed by another and then some smaller ones. Then there was a more liquid-y stream flowing for a couple of days which turned into a pretty bad cold. That miraculously cleared up in a couple of days.

My head feels so clear now I can hardly believe it. This is Great!!! I am really wondering though, about the bags under my eyes. They seem more intense to me than usual. Does that make sense at all? Do I really have a chance to rid myself of these? I hope some of you have had real experience of this. If so, how much time should I give it to expect real results? If any of you have had more success with a particular oil for eye bags, I would love to know what worked for you. Thanks, Everyone

Chronic Sinusitis, Loss of Smell
Posted by Mmsg (Somewhere, Europe) on 12/31/2010

Eye bags sometimes have to do with kidneys. Make sure to drink lots of water.


Chronic Sinusitis, Loss of Smell
Posted by Dr Faith (Broken Arrow, Ok) on 01/22/2011

Sometimes bags under your eyes are from Adrenal fatigue, so herbs like ashwaganda or holy basil are helpful. Keep up the good work!


Hacking, Dry Cough
Posted by Mary (Chicago, Il, Usa) on 12/21/2010
★★★★★

Oil Pulling for a Hacking, Dry Cough

I first tried oil pulling last January after having the swine flu for over 3 weeks. I had tried tons of doctor prescribed antibiotics, but I still had this horrible hacking dry cough. I first used 1 tbsp sesame oil and swished it around in my mouth for 20 minutes. While I was spitting out the oil, I noticed the congestion in my chest loosening and before I knew it I was hacking up tons of phlegm. I felt so much better and kept it up until I was fully recovered a couple days later. I also noticed my teeth were super white after oil pulling. I have since used coconut oil and it works just as well. I have found it's best to do this first thing in the morning on an empty stomach so I keep the oil in the bathroom and swish it around while I shower.


Detoxification
Posted by Cruz (Yonkers, New York) on 12/02/2010

When I started to pull olive oil 3 days ago, next morning wake up with a BIGGG HEADACHE! Ok, when to the bathroom and do it again, finish the second day (morning)and some yellow mucus never seen before came out thru my nose. Headache is gone. After that was clear mucus and stuffy runny nose.

Today is the 3 day and have whole day with stuffy (and runny nose), sneeze and cold like, no taste. Dont know what to think. If I still feeling that way maybe I stop pulling and try to massage my gum with the oil (the way my Mom did with babies to clean their (our) mouth.

Broad Benefits
Posted by Mychelle (Pacific Northwest, Wa) on 11/23/2010
★★★★★

Hi, I am 44 years old and have severe allergies (corn, wheat, gluten, peanut, trees, molds, dust mites, ibuprofen, aspirin, nsaids and the list goes on) I had an allergic reaction in mid Sept 2010 to an antibiotic after a gum graft surgery. I ended up in the ER twice and have now developed chronic hives. I went to a new allergist who was highly recommended and although I really liked her, she prescribed several medications that my insurance held up with red tape. So, I was at home, miserable and nothing was helping.

I got online and found https://www.earthclinic.com and Oil Pulling. I was desperate and even though I have a very sensitive gag reflex, I got the oil (cold pressed sesame) and it has been a little over one week since I have been swishing 1 tbsp each morning. The very first time I swished, my nasal passages opened up while I was doing it. I thought NO WAY, are you SERIOUS?! Yep. Then, by day 2, I was coughing a productive cough and spitting up all this gunk. This is a good thing. My sinuses are now opened enough that I can use my neti pot again, something I could not do before unless I was on prednisone for the crisis my body was in. I loathed taking prednisone and now I know I will not have to take it again for clogged nasal sinuses. My husband reported that I am no longer snoring at night (another thing that happens when I am blocked with inflammation. )

I am still having hives but they are getting less and less each day and part of that is I believe because I am on a restrictive diet that does not include (corn/peanut/gluten/wheat). I have also noticed after just one week that I can chew on both sides of my mouth now because hot/cold does not bother me anymore. I love the way my mouth feels after I OP and brush. I feel like I have just stepped out of the dentist for a cleaning. Oh yeah, my gum graft does not bleed anymore when I floss now (which has little to no plaque since OP). So, I share all this to say, OP is working for my sinusitis and I am enjoying sleeping better because of it. I must admit, I do have a spit bucket because I am still coughing up gunk and I am not sure how long that will last! ? My mucous is thinning and white in color compared to the green/yellow it was before OP. I can't wait to see my doctor on the 29th of Nov. I am not going to tell her what I have taken or NOT taken until after her examination of me. My asthma is still not on track and I researching other remedies to help with that along with my inhaler. Any suggestions anyone??

Broad Benefits
Posted by Farmgirl (Northern, Mn) on 07/12/2012

I have had asthma for years and tried all kinds of herbal remedies but nothing really helped until I started taking a Tablespoon of good quality fish oil, a Tablespoon of organic flax oil and several scoops of probiotics in a morning smoothy. After two weeks of a daily smoothy I noticed that I didn't need my rescue inhaler. I had been taking it every day for years. It was allergy season also. Previously I would have an asthma attack every time I sneezed, but after taking the above mentioned in the smoothy I noticed significant improvement of allergy symptoms as well. I went for three months without having to use my rescue inhaler but twice, then I ran out of ingredients and got lazy about making the smoothy. I actually stumbled on the concoction so I didn't put two and two together right away. It only worked for me when taken together not separately. I also was drinking a green drink during that time.


After Knee Replacement
Posted by Coregon (San Diego, Ca) on 06/09/2013

The symptoms you describe were probably "detoxing effects" from the oil pulling. I had symptoms similar to yours and I believe it was from all the medications I was on before and after surgery leaving my body.

Your artificial joint likely had no "glue" or "cement". Newer joint replacement surgeries today use pegs and screws and eventually bone tissue grows over the new joint making it even more stable. Glue and cement are rarely used anymore. There is no way coconut oil could get into your joint from your mouth and loosen something in your leg. I asked my surgeon how sturdy the joint with the bolts was and he said "nothing.. short of severe trauma (car accident, etc. will loosen it". Here's a description of how joint surgeries are done now.. to relieve your concerns:

"In a non-cemented procedure, components of the implant have a roughened porous surface designed to allow bone to grow into it, eliminating the need for cement.

"The implants are "press fit" against the bony surfaces that are precisely cut through the use of multiple cutting jigs. Faultless positioning is necessary for bony attachment to occur with initial fixation by metal pegs and screws of the implant to bone. Since this implant relies on the bone to hold it in place, this procedure requires good bone to be successful."

http://ehealthmd.com/content/how-artificial-implant-fixed-bone


About Oil Pulling
Posted by Daniel (Christchurch, Nz) on 10/28/2010

Regarding oil pulling, If you leave water, or any other liquid in your mouth, without spitting it out for 20 minutes you- will end up with a mouth full of mucus. Just try it with any oil or liquid

Dental Issues
Posted by Natalie (Wayne, Ne) on 10/27/2010
★★★★★

I decided to try olive oil for pulling, because I had it in the cupboard. I am a mouth breather and sometimes it's hard to get my roof and tongue in my mouth clean. I figured that I used baby oil to clean up tar once, I bet olive oil might be able to get the real sticky stuff. VOILA! My tongue looks and feels so much better- also I can tell a difference in my gums. So far this is a great experience. I am not sold 100% on the claims to heal everything, but it has helped my mouth!


Broad Benefits
Posted by Tim (Portland, Oregon) on 10/16/2010
★★★★★

Sesame Oil Pulling - I have been Oil Pulling for 2 years now and I can say, amazing! Oral health vastly improved, no sinus blockage, and I can feel the toxins being "pulled" out of my system. I look forward to 15 to 30 minutes of swishing prior to breakfast.


Broad Benefits
Posted by Summerhaunt (Licking, Mo, United States) on 10/15/2010
★★★★★

Consecutive Oil Pulling Sessions

To Tahiti: Once I did it all day while doing a 6 hour car drive. I kept a BIG cup with a lid next to me for spitting into. I had no problems at all oil pulling that long. I have also done several back to back, with no problems. I know of several people who also have done 5 or 6 back to back who reported a feeling of euphoria after perhaps the third or fourth. I have never gotten the euphoria, but it has helped clear brain fog, pain, keratosis pilaris, softened skin, and given energy boosts.


Detoxification
Posted by Map77 (Grand Prairie, Tx) on 09/22/2010
★★★★★

I appreciate you posting this, as I have been OPing for 3 days now, I have also noticed that I have had MORE frequent trips to the bathroom.


Side Effects
Posted by Iris (Los Angeles, Ca) on 08/27/2010

I have been using a mixture of sesame oil and coconut oil (half & half to make 1 tablespoon) the last 4 days. I have noticed that I am experiencing emotional issues coming up that I thought I had resolved and that they were long gone. Now they are coming back. I hope to be put out. Is getting rid of emotional issues one of the benefits oil pulling? I did not notice this when I used the coconut oil alone.


Side Effects
Posted by Evelyn G. (San Antonio, Tx U.s.a.) on 07/24/2010

I had been doing OP for two weeks. I wrote on the 21st. of this month asking about my having had problems with the sun's glare and also having blurred vision at the same time. I stopped the OP and it has gone away. I would like to start the OP again, feeling that it has helped to take away a pain from my shoulder that I had for years. Don't know if I should or shouldn't start again. I would appreciate an answer, if anyone has one. Thanks. Evelyn G.


Side Effects
Posted by Bb (Schaumburg, Il) on 09/13/2010

I am having some eye issues too, sensitivity. Maybe switching oil will help?? Would love advice.


Side Effects
Posted by Marsha (Washington Dc, District Of Columbia, Usa) on 10/03/2010

Hello - I've read that symptoms will often get worse before it gets better. Given that this isn't a pharmaceutical-strengthed remedy, perhaps this process takes longer. Just remember - OPing is doing nothing to hurt you. In fact, its aiding your immune system (among many other things). Best wishes to you and, thanks for your input on this forum.


Detoxification
Posted by Ck (Houston, Tx) on 09/12/2011

So what has happened with your OP? Have you seen a reduction in thyroid/hot flash issues? I suffer with these too and would love to hear your feedback...


Coconut Oil
Posted by Timh (Louisville, Ky, Usa) on 02/29/2012 2041 posts

Mrc, my personal experience w/ O. P. (Canola Oil) was positive as whole body functions go, but after about 1 mo my teeth were showing signs of hurried decay and my breath (after pulling) got bad. Fortunately I didn't loose any fillings as was your case. So now I swish Colloidal Silver once daily or before pull, and always rinse mouth w/ commercial otc mouthwash fallowing pull. If the body is toxic w/ pathogens one gets the foamy oil condition. As an adjunct, I would recommend some herbal antibiotics like Neem, Olive Leaf, Grapefruit seed, Pau De' Arco. Immune boosters like Echinacea, Cordyceps, Reishi, Maitake. Shark Liver Oil, Bee Propolis, Raw Thymus Glandular are good immune boosters. I like to use any combination of these prior to pulling so as to absorb the die-off toxins from the pathogens.

Hope this helps and good luck.


Skin
Posted by Kim (Champaign, Il) on 10/28/2010
★★★★★

To Emily from Turlock, CA: you should be using Sesame (not toasted) Oil. You will find a big difference! Good luck.


Broad Benefits
Posted by Sabrina (Talking Rock, Georgia) on 05/14/2010
★★★★★

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

I started oil pulling with sesame seed oil last week. I saw changes in my gums and whiter teeth. I also had great results with my joints. On Wednesday the 1 week anniversary, I got the worst headache of my life. I haven't oil pulled since. So only 2 days. Could it be detox?

Broad Benefits
Posted by Map77 (Grand Prairie, Tx) on 09/22/2010

Hi Sabrina, I also got a BAD headache.. However, I do believe that it's the body "detoxing", I have continued, and the headache went away.


Broad Benefits
Posted by V.srikanth (Bangalore, Karnataka-india) on 04/19/2010
★★★★★

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

I started oil pulling almost two months back.The following advantages are seen.

1)No bad or sour from the mouth
2)Sleeping habits has improved
3)Frequent urination stopped during night times

Following disadvantage is seen
My eye sight has become dull
We use multiple oils for oil pulling



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