Oil Pulling
Health Benefits

Oil Pulling: Unlock Natural Oral Health & Detox Benefits

Side Effects

73 User Reviews
5 star (1) 
  1%
3 star (3) 
  4%
1 star (1) 
  1%
(68) 
  93%

Posted by Paige (Cleveland, OH) on 05/22/2008

I started doing the oil pulling last week, missed a couple days over the weekend, then started back this week. Both when I first started and now since I've re-started my lymph nodes are swollen and extremely sore. Is this normal? It seems to me that it's traveling down my body, the first week was the nodes in my neck area, this week it's my arms and underarms. I was just wondering if it's normal...I thought perhaps it's because my body is ridding itself of toxins through the oil pulling. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. Thanks.

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Replied by Roseann
(San Diego, San Diego)
05/28/2008

Hi Paige....I am not a doctor or any other kind of health care professional; however, swollen lymph glands/nodes can be associated with infections and/or disease; since the symptoms you describe seem to disappear after stopping your swishing and then return once OP is reinstated it could be your Detox theory. I too noticed some lymph gland enlargement (even some neck veins) following my first swish or two....I continued swishing while reducing the force I was using and all gland/vein problems seem to have resolved..Good luck.

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Replied by THealth
(Los Angeles, CA)
05/30/2008

Hi Paige/ Roseann,
Regarding your swollen lymph nodes, what oil are using using for oil pulling? I think it is the sunflower oil which is causing it. I used to do oil pulling with sesame oil and was perfect but recently i started with sunflower oil and have swollen lymph nodes. I would suggest continue with your oil for sometime and if it does not get better then switch it to some other oil.

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Replied by Paige
(Cleveland, OH)
06/07/2008

I'm using Sesame oil, not sunflower.


Side Effects
Posted by Hope (Sacramento, CA) on 03/14/2008

I just wanted to warn folks about the possibilities of increasing blood pressure DUE to oil pulling and acv therapy. I loved oil pulling, but a week after starting it (once a day), my blood pressure went from 140/95 to 250/150. I had to go to the ER fearing I might have a stroke. I had also been doing acv therapy (2 tablespoons in water twice day) at the same time. I was under medication for my bp (20 mg accupril).Perhaps it is possible that they both might remove medication from the body? I stopped both therapies and thought perhaps it was the acv, so 2 weeks later , I tried one session of oil pulling and my blood pressure went sky high the next day : 236/120 ! I made yet another trip to the ER to avoid stroke and heart attack. I know many people have had great success with both healing modalites, but apparently some of us cannot tolerate the unexpected consequences. I would encourage anyone with high blood pressure to do only one modality at a time and go very slowly, keeping a close eye on your bp readings!

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Replied by Davidd
(Forest Lake, Mn, USA)
10/30/2009

Hope,

What type of oil did you use? After 2 weeks of oil pulling with sunflower oil, I went in for a routine checkup and my blood pressure was 153/99. I have often had 140/90 when checked in the doctor's office, but when checked at home, it was more typically in the 120-130/70-80 range. I have NEVER seen it above 150 systolic or above 95 diastolic. I am not on any blood pressure lowering medication.

Now, I can't say what my blood pressure was right before I started pulling, because I hadn't been measuring it for a few months. I can say that oil pulling is the only change in my diet/behavior in the last month.

Since going to the doctor earlier this week, I have monitored my pressure at home. I also quit oil pulling after the high reading at the doctor's office. My pressure this week has been 130-150/90-100 IN THE MORNING (average is closer to 130/90) and as high as 165/106 IN THE EVENING after work. My best guess is that both my systolic and diastolic values are 15 points higher, on average, than they have been for my entire adult life (I'm 38) and this change has taken place sometime in the last few months, since I took readings a few months ago and it was "normal" (normal for me).

I can feel the high pressure in my body. Pressure in my eyes, head, certain spots in my legs and arms, chest, finger tips and feet. I don't believe I felt this way before doing the oil pulling, so my best guess is that it started after I started doing the oil pulling. I can gauge, fairly closely, what my reading will be based on the pressure I feel (and have confirmed this a few times this week).

Having read that sunflower oil contains a high amount of omega 6, I am wondering if that is somehow implicated in this issue. Even though sesame oil does have omega 6 in it too, my research has shown that it also contains other substances that can lower blood pressure. Therefore, last night I ingested 3 tablespoons of sesame seed oil. Within about 1.5 hours after doing this, my blood pressure dropped from about 155/100 to 145/90 (this is from memory, don't have my notes right in front of me). By morning, however, it was about 150/100 when I woke up. I oil pulled 1 tablespoon of sesame seed oil in the shower. About 45 minutes after my earlier reading and after the start of my pulling (which lasted about 10 to 15 minutes), it was down to 140/90. Given the two data points I have, I would say the sesame seed oil may be able to quickly drop about 10 points off both values (FOR ME), whether ingested or through buccal delivery in oil pulling. I should also mention that I do take multiple readings each time to account for the natural variations that are common from one minute to the next.

Since I've given the "bad" effect that I believe was a result of the oil pulling with sunflower oil, I will also give the "good" effect I noticed. Skin irritations on my face and forehead cleared up significantly (90%). I am very confident this is from the oil pulling as it is something I monitor daily when I look in the mirror in the morning. However, I'd definitely trade high blood pressure for some skin irritations! :)

If this gets posted, I will provide future updates on the blood pressure situation.


Side Effects
Posted by Patsy (Arlington, Texas) on 01/09/2008

I have been doing the op thing just a few days, but the second day my nasal passeges were very swollen, it did go away.my stomache hurts alot after op,. I do feel more energy but havent noticed anything else as of yet. I will keep ya posted.


Side Effects
Posted by Jenmal ([email protected]) on 12/27/2007

I found this site because I was searching for a rememdy for the whiteness on my tounge. I struggled with the idea of OP for about a week and decided to do it. The first time I did it I did it for 20 minutes, but immediatly noticed my tounge was nice and pink again. The second day and beyond(now on my 5th day), i got a cold sore which I get very infrequently,and I also would get weird headaches too, so I hope it is s good sign. It is one of the worst cold sores I have ever had BTW, and I also felt real sick for a little while and sluggish.It almost feels like things are trying to leave my body. I am going to keep it up and see what develops, and will post my results later.


Side Effects
Posted by Shiv (Hyderabad, India) on 12/22/2007

I started doing oil pulling, its 2weeks and my BP increased and also I had severe Gas problem in my stomach. My doctor increased my BP dose... Is it due to oil puling?? Should I continue doing it or stop it?


Side Effects
Posted by Subashini (Kuwait) on 09/27/2007

hi, i tried oil pulling with sesame oil.i have done it for nearly 10 months not even 1 day left out.still my irregular period problem has not solved...only good thing is tartar in teeth's have disappeared... generally i do not get bad breath..after started doing oil pulling i am getting it now.once i leave oil pulling again the plaque formation started in my teeth....if i stop oilpulling bad breath stopped... i am highly optimistic charactor....how much i can convenince myself to continue it,,,,it is not working well.... Also by searching the cold pressed sunflower oil...i am tired too much...normal sunflower oil within one day bad breath starting....i don't know why...whom to get guidence from which website we do interaction with experts... www.oilpulling.com is only giving fewer information.... please advise me if i am wrong...i strictly follow the instruction how to do oil pulling even though it happends to me like this...

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Replied by FR
(NYC)
10/01/2007

Hi, just wanted to share with you my cure for an infected gum -- hydrogen peroxide. Also wanted to respond to Subashini from Kuwait, because I may have an answer for her about the bad breath and oil pulling.

My story (I'll try to be brief)... got a piece of food stuck in the gum behind one of my front teeth. No matter what I did -- floss, oil pull, swish peroxide -- it didn't come out. I then went to a new dentist last week to have my teeth cleaned and the stuck particle removed. Lucky me -- the hygenist was just filling in for the day and during the teeth cleaning part, said she saw something dislodge but then "lost sight of it". Okay, fine, I thought. That night I awoke in the middle of the night with terrible bad breath. It was so bad it actually woke me up. Yes, I do have sensitive smell!! When I looked at the right front tooth the next day, I noticed that the gum was severely swollen, from the tooth to the roof of the mouth. The bad breath also persisted. I started my holistic regime of oil pulling, then later swishing with hydrogen peroxide. The oil pulling, like Subashini said, made my breath worse. YUCK! I tried swishing with sea salt. No luck. Finally I had the idea a couple of days ago to soak a cotton ball with hydrogen peroxide and then hold it (tightly) to the swollen gum for 10 minutes. I also pinched another h202 soaked cotton ball to the back side of the tooth where the piece of food had initially lodged. Interestingly, it didn't hurt, but certain areas of the gum turned white. 10 minutes later the white had disappeared. Glad to say that my bad breath smell immediately disappeared and has not returned. My gum is looking a little better. A couple more days of this (soaked h202 2x a day) and I think I will be back to 100%. I highly suggest this technique if you have a tooth abcess or swollen gums from an infection. It is the best way for hydrogen to penetrate, otherwise it just turns to foam if you swish it around in your mouth.

So Subashini, I think your issue may be an infection somewhere in your gums that the oil pulling is bringing to the surface. Infection smells like dental plaque -- quite disgusting. My suggestion is to pull up your top lip (then pull down the bottom lip) in the mirror in daylight and look for redness in your gums. If you can pinpoint an area, then soak it with hydrogen peroxide cotton ball 2x a day for a day or two. I would predict that your issue of bad breath will immediately go away, even after you oil pull.

Oh, one more thing. You will need to bend over a sink whilst holding the cotton ball to your gums and let your saliva run out. You may need to do round 2 during the same session. Most importantly, you don't want to swallow anything! Rinse well afterwards. Hope this helps someone, somewhere. All My Best, FR


Side Effects
Posted by John (Elgin, OR) on 02/11/2007

Since I have been doing oil pulling, I have developed mouth sores two times now. The first one I developed looked like a boil. It was very painful. I finally brushed it very hard with a tooth brush. It bled profusely when brushing teeth. I quit brushing the area and after a long time it finally healed up. I mentioned it to my dentist and he took a photograph of it. He was puzzled as to what it was. I'm wondering if this couldn't be crud coming out from the oil pulling. The site of this sore was on the roof of my mouth. Now I have developed another sore on the upper left side of my mouth just above a tooth. This also bleeds profusely when brushed. It's not as painful as the first sore. Please advise.

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Replied by Carrie
(Palmdale , CA)
10/05/2008

Rinse your mouth with baking soda and water after oil pulling, then drink a glass of water.

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Replied by Byron
(Boston, Ma, Usa)
06/18/2011

Speaking as a traditional healer, these ulcerations are a healthy immune function to remove sick, dying and dead tissue and blood from your head via the oil pulling it out. It is the way the body works, surgically, and is perfectly normal and good. Otherwise these situations could come to a head as cancers or other very serious medical conditions in the future. You are instinctively doing the right thing. If you experience it again. Drink at least one gallon to two gallons of water per day to help flush it out and if you are only pulling once a day with the oil you may want to increase it at these times two or three times per day...


Sinus Headaches

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Chattvol (Cos, Colorado) on 04/27/2010
★★★★★

I've been Oil pulling for about 5 weeks with coconut oil. I use about 2 teaspoons in the morning and let it melt in my mouth. I've worked my way up to 17 minutes in the mouth. The most immediate change is I no longer suffer from almost daily sinus headaches. My teeth feel cleaner but unsure if they are actually whiter. My skin feels not as dry. Just the change in my sinuses is enough for me to continue. Do you guys change your oil every few months and do you oil pull more than 1x per day? Thanks


Sinus Infections

19 User Reviews
5 star (16) 
  84%
4 star (3) 
  16%

Posted by Mike (Logan, Al) on 10/04/2012
★★★★★

I read for several hours about OP and then drove 20 minutes to town to fetch "OILS"... I have a sinus infection and was very uncomfortable and needed some relief. Sunflower oil for 20 minutes and my nose opened up and the sinus pressure is gone. I intend to continue with OP to see if the claims of better stomach health are true. It was not easy at first... There is a gag reflex, and I must admit that my mouth feels really fresh and clean. The baking soda brushing felt great also... Drink plenty of water and I am sure your experience will be just as good. I am amazed!


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!


Sinus Infections
Posted by Arsieiuni (Arley, Al, United States Of America) on 11/02/2010
★★★★☆

I tried this yesterday morning to combat an oncoming sinus infection and it was fantastic! One tablespoon of sesame oil (it's just a brand I keep on hand for cooking, bought from the local superdepartment store but no ingredients beyond the oil listed) in my mouth and I began swishing it and pulling it through my teeth. I did this as long as I could stand (being sick a the time makes it a little unpleasant as breathing was difficult) and spit it out. It was not quite colorless as the article implied it should be but it had gone from a rich brown to a pale, pale yellow-brown. I know I probably needed to swish it longer, but I couldn't breathe (due to head congestion, unrelated to the Oil Pulling). I did feel a little better instantly. I felt better through-out the day and night. Today, I didn't do oil pulling because the congestion has gone into my throat and I knew breathing would be worse, but it is something I'll continue to do for dental health and its other benefits. I feel it did help combat the sinus infection which has gone from severe congestion to mild congestion today. I also used cayenne gargling and ACV to combat the sore throat and congestion. I LOVE EARTH CLINIC!


Sinus Infections
Posted by Kaitlin (Chester, Va) on 05/10/2010
★★★★★

I have been incredibly ill with a sinus infection the last three days--high fever, sore throat, yellow mucus, horrible headaches, and even vomiting. This one was really a doozy; I haven't been this sick in a long time! I tried oil pulling with the extra virgin olive oil I had in the cupboard, and after three minutes I had to spit it out because I started coughing up mucus and didn't stop for five minutes. My head started clearing up, too. While my throat is now even more sore from the coughing, the rest of me feels relief for the first time in days! I will definitely continue oil pulling and update on the results.


Sinus Infections
Posted by Mae (Cape Neddick, Maine) on 01/04/2010
★★★★☆

One week in...

I discovered OP while researching a natural remedy for sinus infection. I started with olive oil, three days later switched to sesame oil, then to VCO. While the sinus infection is in control, it is not by any means cured. I have also been using ACV in warm water with honey twice a day and neti pot 3 times a day. I wish I could say I have had the results some of you have had in eliminating tons of mucus. I will stick with it though.

My question is: I have read many blogs over the past week and don't see that anyone is talking about blending oils. I am thinking about mixing sesame with coconut. Is there any reason why I shouldn't?

EC: A few people have mentioned adding a drop of clove or wild oregano to their Sesame, Olive, Coconut, etc. oil.

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Replied by Lisa
(Closter, Nj Usa)
04/03/2011
★★★★★

BEE propolis with Manuka honey along with the oregano oil (P73 WILD is best) and the ACV ;and the cayenne pepper in tandem will cure the sinus infection. I used to get them 7x yr. All that chronic sinusitus is from candida. Eat clean and no sugar or refined carbs. I take a plastic spoon (as bee propolis will stick to a metal spoon) and dip it into the Manuka honey- then add a full dropper of Bee Propolis... Slide it down ur tounge into the back of ur mouth(as it can stick to ur teeth). Do 2xday. The Bee pollen in both the propolis and from the Manuka (i get any type over 80%pollen )has an antiallergen effect.

Dont believe the drug pushing drug companies. GOD gave us everything we need. How do u think other cultures survived for thousands of yrs? why was evoo, and herbs etc considered currency? EVEN BEER! Modern medicine is yesterday news. They try diff things but then 10yrs later u always see that people have lawsuits due to drugs they took. ESPECIALLY Now! DETOX first, then inflammation will go away, then restoration occurs. All diease comes from inflammation and cellular degeneration. Oxidation is also important. BUT THE MOST BY FAR- IMHO- is normalizing/testing regularly ur Ph. of BOTH the BLOOD/URINE. EVERYone is finding that acidosis is the main contributor of cellular degeneration. Check it out.


Sinus Infections
Posted by Monij (St. Louis, Mo) on 10/23/2009
★★★★★

I was miserable last night with an obvious sinus infection and I decided to google natural cures for it and found this wonderful website. I tried the oil pulling technique with extra virgin olive oil and about 35-45 minutes later, the mucous began breaking up and I was able to cough it up and blow my nose! I've been telling everyone about it. Thanks so much!


Sinus Infections
Posted by Liz (Fairfield, CT) on 03/04/2009
★★★★★

It's day two of my oil pulling. The first shot, I felt my sinuses start to drain down my throat while doing it! This after a 10 day round of antibiotics that did not work!I was just AMAZED! As a bonus: my teeth felt like glass...as if I had just had a professional cleaning! I'm waiting for the fountain of youth thing to kick in. It was also not as unpleasant as I had imagined. I did it on my commute, then spit in the parking lot! That will give 'em something to speculate about at the water cooler! Tee-Hee!



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