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.
Broad Benefits
Posted by Jane (Red Deer, Alberta, Canada) on 12/23/2012
★★★★★
Been OP [oil pulling] since mid-November about twice a day with VCO. My first day, noticed a lot of mucus on my tongue after the second pull. I brushed my teeth & tongue after and rinsed with water as well. Most days I just have to blow my nose after & maybe spit mucus once or twice. A couple days back, I felt a scratchy feeling near the back of my mouth towards the throat when I was done. I took out a flashlight & saw a small round bump. Then I noticed what looked like mucus coming out of the throat area around the tonsils, coming through the flesh. Then, the next half hour I started coughing & spitting up phlegm continuously. Then it stopped, the bump & mucus was gone, and I had the best night's sleep I've had in awhile. The changes I've noticed so far include clear skin, I just don't seem to get acne now & I've had bouts of acne for over 25 years. My hair doesn't seem to split as bad as it used to. My teeth are whiter, tartar that has built up on the inside front of two of my lower teeth seems to be reducing, my gums are a lighter pink. I started breaking out in hives a few months back. I would feel like my heart was racing even though my pulse was normal or even slightly low. I would feel a burning inside that sometimes made me physically ill to my stomach. It looked like someone was drawing the world map on my back & legs from the hives. Numerous sleepless nights as a result. It took me awhile to figure out that the triggers were all grains & sulfites. I have had a couple of accidental exposures since the oil pulling & the hives symptoms are significantly reduced. In fact, there was only a slight feeling of racing and a couple small areas of hives. I have also noticed the fibrocystic lumps in my breasts seem to be shrinking and this has been the most pain free period in the last couple weeks than I've had for more than a year (although I should add that for the last few months I have also gone off all caffeine & no bra). Finally, there is no arthritis in my hands so far this year. By this time, last year, my hands were always either stiff or sore. Oil pulling is quite literally changing my life. I have always tried to live healthy, my weight is reasonable, in fact I've only had two periods of time my entire life where I was overweight. Once from childbirth and once from an injury that limited my movement for six months. However, despite all the healthy eating & use of natural medicine, nothing has created as noticeable a difference as oil pulling has. I want to thank you; because it was while I was trying to search for remedies for hives that I came across oil pulling on this site. Thank you!
Dental Issues
Posted by Art (California ) on 08/30/2016 2868 posts
Cat,
You didn't mention how much DE you were taking per day and that would be very useful information for people who are thinking of taking or are currently taking DE.
In a clinical study that used only 750 mgs per day, DE was shown to lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and have lasting effects, so the multiple tablespoon dosing that is typically seen on the internet may be a little over the top for some people.
Art
Dental Issues
Posted by Anuj (Sydney, Australia) on 01/22/2012
★★★★★BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS
Just wanted to give my 2 cents worth.
Started OP about 7 days back. The first 3 days I used sunflower oil for OP. During that time, had excruciating pain for the first 2 days near one of my molars (the one which had root canaling done; I have 2 root canals ). The third day with sunflower oil was smooth and no pain.
Ran out of sunflowerr oil, so started using olive oil. Again, absolute hell with the headache and mucous for 2 days.
On the positive side, my teeth feel cleaner, no more bad breath and my gums seem to have firmed up. Will continue oil pulling to see how my cavities and dental decay fare.
Only concern being I have a lot of metal fillings- my dental health has been pathetic throughout my life-hope OP helps me cure that.
Dental Issues
Posted by Modern Medicine Maiden (Victoria, Bc, Canada) on 12/28/2011
★★★★★
I have discovered this website and after reading about oil pulling (and researching on other websites) I decided to try it.......... After two weeks I need to share my story.
I was diagnosed 10 years ago with a tumor/goiter on the right side of my thyroid that was noticeable in size. Oddly enough the left side is trying to compensate for it so my specialist and I decided to just leave it be and I would monitor its size and my well being (noticing any changes to my health) so after several years of blood tests etc.... I am now on yearly monitoring. Seems to be fine but the size has never changed. No matter what kind of cleanse or supplement I did. I just thought it was my little pet to carry around with me. Now I need to mention that I eat very healthy clean whole foods as I am sensitive to a lot of things (thanks goodness my body has a natural defense to all the bad stuff, makes it easier to say no! ). And then I decided to try oil pulling!!!!!!!!!!! The first day I had an awful metallic taste in the back of my throat. From the second day on I would expel a considerable amount of phlegm a few times after I had spit out the oil, IT'S SHRINKING!!!!! I have also had a slight breakout on my chin that happens to line up with my thyroid and only on the affected side so I know its pulling upwards. I honestly think that the doctor may even miss it if I had a routine check up. Not to mention my teeth are so much whiter! I am honestly telling everyone I love because this is so easy! I am fortunate to have seen direct results so I am absolutely convinced that this is another practice that I will incorporate into my daily regime for the rest of my life! Just try it..... Sesame oil, 2 tsp, empty tummy, 20 min and swish-n-spit away your potential future diseases down the drain!
Whitens Teeth
Posted by Carlos (Barcelona, Spain) on 10/23/2011
★★★★★
Ok I just want to report after few days I have those white teeth that when I look in the mirror I'm amazed.
I always had beautiful big teeth but yellow in color so my smile wasn't such a remarkable thing. I don't smoke or drink coffee but they were yellow no matter the toothpaste I used. I don't know if I should keep doing it cause people will really notice it's getting to be a hollywood smile lol!
Broad Benefits
Posted by Shorty (Virginia Beach, Va) on 08/24/2011
★★★★★
I am very thankful for this site and the people who share their experiences on natural healing cures. I recently started oil pulling with seseme oil (toasted was what I could find at the grocery store) for the last three weeks. I wanted to get started right away! I am loving the results I am getting. My gums are healing, looking more pink, my teeth have begun to whiten up(they were yellow), my breath doesn't smell any more.
What I would like to know has anyone experienced waking up in the morning with a mouth full of thick mucus that has a yellow tinge to it. I also noticed the tarter buildup on my teeth wearing down? Is that possible with oil pulling? I'll take it!!! I would appreciate any helpful responses. Thanks
Sinus Infections
Posted by Casey (Morehead, Ky) on 01/31/2011
★★★★★
Avocado Oil for Sinus Infections
Had horrible sinus infection. Read your page and tried oil pulling. All I had was avacado oil at the time. Swished for only 12 minutes, but within another 12 minutes my terrible headache was gone and about 90% of the sinus infection was also gone. An amazing cure! Thanks!
Broad Benefits
Posted by Dibraccio (New Brunswick, New Jersey) on 12/03/2010
★★★★★
I was suffering from severe burnout. My health was failing. For the past 3 months, I had shooting pains all over my body, I had dizzy spells, pains in my lower back and lower right abdomen. I started oil pulling and the symptoms started to fade the first day I did the oil pulling routine. Within 4 days ALL of the symptoms vanished!!! It seems like miracle!!! This experience has caused a profound paradigm shift in my consciousness and has caused me to reevaluate many of my beliefs about health care and healing. I am thankful there is an internet where one can obtain vital information like this.
Hives
Posted by Janet6 (Brooklyn, Ny) on 09/18/2010
★★★★★
I have been doing OP with virgin olive oil for over four years. This has now become part of my morning routine. The first week I started, I experienced a clean palate which I think resulted in my new experience of foods. I now enjoy my foods and eat with more gusto. My other observance was that I slept more soundly and felt more refreshed and energized upon waking. Each day I eagerly started my morning doing O/P and then a thorough brush with my regular tooth-paste and baking soda and salt. My breath definitely improved during the day. However, the most important and startling feature of this new practice for me was that it cured my hives. I suffered with this allergic reaction for more than 20 years and all I got from my doctors was temporary relief. I had been using Benadryl, Allegra, Zyrtec, Prednisone among many but when I started O/P, it cured my allergies, which came out in the form of hives (raised irregular shapes all over my body which were crazily itchy and ugly). I could not even talk about them, I felt like they were listening and would re-visit me. After four years of O/p I think this is the most amazing thing that could happen to someone with allergies. I feel that anyone with allergies can benefit if I can. I have been passing on by word of mouth to all my friends and family and those who try it tell me the wonderful results they too are having. I believe this has even helped me with whatever pain I have had in my shoulders and knees. I have experienced expelling a lot of phlegm which I am amazed is in my body as I never seem to have a cold or cough. Over the years, my face has gotten smoother than when I was younger. No one believes how old I am and I will not tell. I have used sesame oil and sunflower oil and I like olive oil the best.
Dental Issues
Posted by Linda (Port of Spain, Trinidad, West Indies) on 07/06/2009
★★★★★
Oil Pulling Cured My Gingivitis. About 1 month ago I began experiencing very horrible breath. So I began to search for remedies that were 'natural' as opposed to prescribed medication. I discovered your site and started oil pulling about a month ago, using cold pressed olive oil (couldn't find any other cold pressed oil). I used 1 tablespoon each morning before eating breakfast and before retiring to bed at night. After a few days I began to see my teeth whiten and my gums become very pink and healthy looking. A gap between 2 teeth closed up totally so that now there is no 'gap' anymore! Last week I visited the dentist where I was told that my gums and teeth were so healthy and clean that I can visit the dentist once per year instead of every six months! My previous visit to the dentist 6 months ago was not so good....I was told I had gingivitis and that my gums were receding from my teeth, my gums were also very dark purple instead of bright pink. So thank you Earth Clinic, with oil pulling my oral health was restored beyond my expectations! Oil pulling did so much for me, I will continue as long as I have life. I told a colleague about it and she too has started oil pulling! However I still wait for my bad breath to clear up. Any suggestions for elimination of this chronic bad breath?
Insights and Theories
Posted by Alice (Stonewall, MS) on 05/03/2009
★☆☆☆☆WARNING!
Canola Oil Should not be used for Oil Pulling. Canola Oil is not a natural oil. It is a genetically modified version of Rape Seed Oil. I would not recommend using it for oil pulling or cooking. Research shows it has a tendency to leave scaring on your heart after continued use.
Also, do not use peanut oil. I was told when I first started pulling not to use it because of the mold it develops after it is picked.
Insights and Theories
Posted by Kittycat (Livermore, Ca) on 04/30/2012
★☆☆☆☆
I would not suggest using canola oil for op or anything period! I was getting constant headaches and congestion and awakening sick and sore and finally pin pointed it to ingesting canola oil, (not OP). In fact, OP with sesame oil was the only thing that would help with the headache. If your feeling icky and dont know why, try eliminating canola oil. This is not easy as they put it in near everything, including so called health food. But once I stopped ingesting it I felt sooo much better. Its one nasty oil, not meant for man nor beast!
Castor Oil
Posted by Joyce (Joelton, Tn) on 03/19/2009 489 posts
Hello Susan, Most castor oil I have seen comes in 2, 4 or 6 ounce bottles which are clearly labeled for oral ingestion, so why would you need one that states food grade when it is clearly labeled to be taken orally for a laxative effect. I agree with the one who stated that the only adverse effect you would likely have with OP with castor oil would be a laxative effect and since you would be expectorating the castor oil it wouldn't be passing through the intestines whereby it causes the laxative action, therefore there should be no laxative effect as long as you don't swallow it.
For me the worst side effect would be smelling and tasting the castor oil because I despise both the smell and taste, even the ones sold as tasteless & odorless. I had too much of the castor oil forced down in childhood, because this was my parents answer to whatever ailed us. Must have been beneficial because most of my siblings are still alive and I am #8 of 10 children and the youngest who is 6 years my junior is now 70 years old. So if you can tolerate the smell & taste, just be sure to spit the used oil out and be sure to let us know what your opinion of it is. Thanks for sharing with the rest of us.
Broad Benefits
Posted by Burton (Portland, Oregon) on 01/25/2009
★★★★★
I read about oil pulling on this site and decided to try it, though i wasn't aware of any real health problems. I only had olive oil in the house so I went with that for 3 or 4 days and did the neti pot nasal flush afterward each time. I used a tablespoon of oil and swished for 15 minutes, rinsing afterward with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. baking soda in warm water. Throughout the course of those four days I noticed a startling mood elevation and mental clarity that I hadn't had in a very long time. I also noticed alot of sinus drainage and my ability to smell increased. Also my eyes stopped feeling itchy or dry. I switched over to sesame oil because it was recommended, but have since switched back to olive oil and experienced the same mood elevation and mental clarity. This has made me wonder if I was suffering from low-grade depression the whole time. I feel much calmer and focussed, less confused and find alot more reasons to laugh during the day. I also have a TON more energy and work much harder. This energy caused me to have some problems sleeping for the first few days. One last thing is that my beard seems to have gotten much thicker and softer. I'm excited about such a cheap and simple remedy and would recommend it to everyone.
Asthma
Posted by Shakti (Chicago, IL) on 11/06/2006
★★★★★
Please post this where asthma sufferers can view it, this is important because I had a hard time finding a cure for asthma on your site but thank God I did. I began a regimen of oil pulling shortly after a lingering cold went to my lungs, I just couldn't get rid of the mucus. I prayed for relief. It got even worse after a chemical pesticide was sprayed in my home for pest control. The next day after the extermination I had the worst attack of my life, I couldn't stand it anymore, so after 10 years of not having to put any poison into my lungs I had to once again use an inhaler to control the attacks. After the second night of waking up feeling side effects of nervousness anxiety and panic I decided enough was enough. I went to the computer in the middle of the night and began hours of research to find a natural cure. That's how I found this miracle of a web site. The next day I went out a purchased some sesame oil and took one table spoon 3x a day at the onset of my asthma attack and Immediately after the very first dose the mucus expelled out of my longs, and within 10 minutes what had plagued me for over 10 years was no more. Since then If I have any tightening in my chest or shortness of breath I IMMEDIATELY do the oil pulling and the problem subsides in 10 minutes or less. ~~~Oh I'd be remiss if I did not mention the side effect, I took oil pulling for Bronchial Asthma but as a result I got a dazzling white smile, sinus relief, not to mention it remarkably helped to subside my symptoms PMS all unexpected but welcomed side effects. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! P.S. thanks my husband thanks you too, lol.
Insights and Theories
Posted by Pamela (Asheville) on 02/02/2020
★★★★★
I've read that it's better to do a sequence of 5 minute oil pulling sessions totaling 20 minutes instead of a single 20 minute session. Reason being that doing shorter “pulls” and spitting avoids the potential re-absorption of toxins one might get from the long pulling session. Makes sense to me! This might solve any gagging problems!
Broad Benefits
Posted by Janine (Perth, Western Australia) on 01/23/2015
★★★★★
I'm not sure how I can contribute to this site. But obviously I can't send a message to you. There are so many people that dont believe this. I am not normally an alternate person but I have been trying this for 3 days only. I was due for a dental appointment but the plaque on my teeth is becoming lesses and lesser. I originally googled this for a throat mucous problem which I have had for 12 years and no doctors prescription has been able to fix. 3 days later my throat feels fabulous apart from being quite dried out which makes it hard to swallow but I just buy lozengers. I disagree with the dentists clean and scale treatment that we have here in oz as I think that it thins your teeth down. I am totally amazed by what coconut oil has done so far. I'm sorry to bother you but thank you.
Dental Issues
Posted by Nora (Kentucky, Usa) on 08/10/2014
★★★★★
I tried organic virgin coconut oil for oil pulling which I had never heard about until now and I love it! It actually solved my oral issues when not even commercial mouth wash would, including my toothpaste! Unbelievable, if I hadn't tried it I would not have believed it, but I told myself, (what can I lose, so , I tried it and after about a month to a month and a half, great results, my mouth has totally healed! ) . I even read the website "wellness mama" and the other health benefits of extra virgin organic coconut oil and wow, even changed my toothpaste from flouride to the same mixture on this lady's website to try it out and it works! I am also looking into anti-inflammatory foods and detox foods to aid in better over-all health and flush out the toxins for myself and my family. I've always tried to watch what I eat and eat healthy, but there's always room for improvement. I do what I can, though, given a very tough economy still right now, so this coconut oil pulling is really helping and I think I'll stick with it.
