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.
Dry Skin and Hair
Posted by Paula (London, Great Britain and Poitiers, France) on 07/30/2009
★★★★★
health and oil pulling
iam a 58 yr old female in good health. Since my early 40's when i had arthritic twinges (i remembered my grandmother's hooked fingers) i decided to learn about diet and have followed a healthy lifestyle influenced by reading and my own experiences.
I eat fruit on an empty stomach which is so effective that my sceptical husband does it! Also i eat according to my blood type ( i used to have eczema and discovered that tomatoes and potatoes,the deadly nightshade vegetables are like poison to A types)
i like hearing about other aids to health and i have been oil pulling for a couple of months it has helped my dry skin and hair. My theory is that the swishing and the saliva change the oil chemically so that the full goodness of it is taken up by the body. I clean my teeth carefully afterwards with a natural toothpaste then sip a large glass of filtered room temp. water (i do it once in the morning immediately on rising). I use 1 12 tsp of organic olive oil and will try walnut tomorrow.
My mother who is 81 also has found great benefit from it; she has followed my health ideas and is on no medication (she hops and skips about showing up many people who are years younger than her), Isn't it incredible how many people think that bad health is 'dropped on them from above' rather than the terrible high sugar, junk fat, high carbs diet that the advertisers 'make them eat.
Insights and Theories
Posted by Amy (Mentor, Oh, Usa) on 04/19/2011
True, Canola is "Canadian Rapeseed" abbreviated. Also sadly true that much of what we have easy access to is genetically modified, but by doing research, knowing our grower/rancher, we really can avoid most of it. That's how I do sleep tight.
Insights and Theories
Posted by Douglas (Md) on 08/19/2013
No canola oil is not at all healthy. It is one of the main causes of diabetes. When using canola oil it takes 6 months to undo the damage from 1 serving of this nasty oil. It places an artificial fat wall around your cells walls that disrupt the electrical balance of your cells. This fat wall then does not allow glucose to properly penetrate. This knocks your pancreatic cells out of whack which produce Insulin and causes blood sugar imbalance. You can fix this in about 6 months if you cut out all canola oil as well as all margirin and vegetable oil. Buy a bottle of cold pressed Flaxseed oil and a bag of ground flaxseed. The ground flaxseed has to be used as soon as its introduced to the air because it goes rancid very quick. The flaxseed oil must have the top secured at all times and kept away from heat and light. Mix 1 table spoon with 2 tablespoons of 4% milkfat cottage cheese. Or you can double the amount depending on how hungry you are. Mix very well. Take this mixture and add in 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed. Mix well and you can optionaly add cinnamon for blood sugar balancing(it mimmicks insulin) and apricott or organic fruit of your choice. Eat this 3 times per day. This diet is known as the budwig diet and it reverses diabetes as well as cancer. Avoid taking vitamin C when using this diet at least 3 hours before or after eating. The flaxseed oil mixes with the fat of the cottage cheese in a way that makes it become water soluble. The oil then can bypass the liver and directly bring oxygenation to your cells and organs through your blood stream. Your diabetes will be reversed within 6 months or less if you eliminate all bad fats especialy canola, margerin, and vegetable oils. Also if you can get organic cottage cheese that is the prefered type to use. God bless and good luck to everyone. Sending light and love out to all that read this!!!!!!!!!!
Insights and Theories
Posted by Dee (Mountain West USA) on 05/13/2022
GMO involves lab insertion of unnatural genetic material into the 'host' seed or animal - In the early stages of this experimentation, news articles were full concern from chefs about the prospect of people with shrimp allergies dropping dead in their restaurants due to the insertion of shrimp genes into tomatoes. They wanted labeling. Labs create 'Roundup-ready" soy which will tolerate overdosing of Glyphosphates. Same with BT corn - able to kill the borer, and also'ready' to tolerate incredible overpoisoning with chemicals. But people then eat of this stuff. And the evidence continues to mount about the deleterious effects of eating these foodlike substances.
But GMO experiments went way beyond that. By now you may have read about their implanting of human genes into wheat, spider genes into goats, etc.
Anyone who still believes the industry's marketing hype about GMOs being no different from products of 'natural selection' has not done their own research.
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.
Addiction, Smoking
Posted by Leighroy (Stockport, Cheshire) on 01/05/2009
★★★★☆
Having spent the whole of the festive period wallowing in my own self pity due to a severe case of the flu, which I shared with the rest of my family, I was fortunate to find your website in the search for a remedy for my affliction.
I became engrossed in reading at least 10 pages of post's relating to "oil pulling" and its benefits. Being probably as sceptical as most are when they told that a tablespoon of oil swilled in the mouth for 15 minutes could change your life. I decided that I had nothing to lose and that I might even benefit.
Wooooooooow!!! the following day, my fever had subsided leaving me with just the "snotty congested remnants" of the flu - I kept an open mind as I had consumed several cloves of garlic that night and had enough "flu remedy tablets" to put a whale to sleep. The following day however I felt optomistic about the whole affair and pre breakfast treated myself to another bout of OP.
THe reason for my post is to give a huge thumbs up for the benefits of this treament which if nothing else has boosted my enthusiasm for life. More importantly I gave up smoking after my second treatment due to the fact that the taste of the tobacco was no longer pleasant. I have managed to remain a non smoker for the last seven days which is the longest I have been without tobacco for 27 years. Prior to OP I had absolutely no inclination to quit and rather enjoyed it smoking at least 10-15 per day.
I am in no way saying that OP will make you stop smoking .......but for at least 7 days it has been the driving force behind my new found love of fresh air. Each morning I use 1 tablespoon of cold pressed olive oil as I cant seem to source sesame. I swish for 20 minutes before rinsing out with a solution of 1tps rock salt/1tps bi carb soda and 8 oz water taking care to lightly brush everywhere.
As such I would recommend OP to everyone and have done so. I would be interested to know if there are any other documented cases where OP has directly contributed to a smoker giving up. Thanks again and yes my teeth are whiter but that may just be the absence of tobacco. I have also found that I need less caffein and have hardly touched alcohol but again this may be due to the flu residue or just the fact that sub conciously I am making a real effort to stay healthy.
Whatever.... OP for life
Insights and Theories
Posted by Kazza Veronica (Victorville, Ca) on 10/11/2015
Virgin coconut oil (unrefined) is recommended for one tablespoon for ingestion daily. The OP needs less than a teaspoon.. level perhaps... Enjoy!!!! both if you use them. I do!
Kazza Veronica
Insights and Theories
Posted by Caroline Barongo (Kenya) on 10/29/2017
Wow, I love this option. I was also afraid I wouldn't last for 20 minutes with oil in my mouth. I use the black seed oil to rinse my mouth and I spit it out in barely 5 minutes.
Agent Orange Poisoning
Posted by Kendra Rose (Haiku, Hawaii) on 08/24/2007
★★★★★
I have now been oil pulling for two months both morning and night. Twenty-eight years ago I was exposed to agent orange here in Hawaii from the pineapple fields. It had gotten into the water supply. I have been ill ever since, I especially suffered from migraines. To make things worse I have heavy metal poisoning that is off the charts.
Two friends put their grandmother's rosaries on me and prayed for me by my request... as I had been feeling so terrible.. kept telling my friends that my blood feels poisoned. That night I found EarthClinic and my prayer was answered. My life has been restored to me. Glory be to Buddha, Marys, Christ, angels and all the Saints! HO!
I have consistent energy. I no longer feel poisoned, my blood feels joyous! I am sleeping so deeply from the very first day I tried it. Now that I feel so good, I understand how deeply sick I've been all this time. My body feels so relieved not to start the day with a toxic overload. A new acquaintance of mine said that since she's known me she can't believe the quality of my skin...
I have tried for over 28 years many modalities, herbal medicines, prescription medicines.. nothing helped me.. I began to feel I was the only person on earth who could not heal... and I'm a healer... I am healing and everyday I am amazed, startled, surprised, delighted that I wake up feeling grrreat! Blessed Be!
Back Pain, Severe
Posted by Denise (Pembroke, GA) on 04/04/2007
★★★★★
I have severe arthritis and started using ACV & molasses and noticed better energy. This morning, I had real difficulty getting out of bed and decided I'd try oil pulling. To say I was amazed with the results is putting it lightly. After suffering with it for 25 years, the pain in my back is now gone! I am stunned! I used cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil - have done it twice today so far. Also, the mucous is coming up. Will do another one tonight. Thank God for this site. THANK YOU!!!!
Allergies
Posted by April Crowder (Charlotte Nc) on 12/26/2015
★★★★★
I have been using coconut oil for oil pulling for about 3 years now. I have never had any gagging or side effects from it. I do it every day for 20 minutes. I have allergies and the oil pulling makes my teeth feel much cleaner. I do also cough up some phlegm right after the oil pulling. Between the oil pulling and the All Natural Apple Cider Vinegar I take everyday, my allergies are much better and I have a lot more energy than I did before. No aches or pains either!
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.
Detoxification
Posted by Bee (New York, NY, US) on 10/02/2014
★★★★★
Hi Gail ;; (U.S.)
I am oil pulling and the first few days I felt like I had the flu.... Its def. detox or die off symtpoms.. They are less now and I have been oil pulling for a month....A lot of plague came off my teeth... gums are better and teeth are whiter. I use organic safflower oil.
Detoxification
Posted by Gail (Defuniak Springs, FL, US) on 10/02/2014
I guess I have a yeast problem and heavy metals . I'm looking forward to feeling better I just hope it doesn't take a month . Thanks for the encouragement and I hope OP continues to help you too.
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.
Dental Issues
Posted by Rama (India) on 11/19/2014
★★★☆☆BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS
I had done OP off and on from the time I heard about it, which was more than 20 years ago. Sometimes , due to certain reasons I might have stopped for a short while , and would have totally forgotten about this therapy.
Then few years back again I started it, and did it regularly 3 times a day, and that was the time got so many blisters in my mouth. I still continued with great difficulty , thinking it was okay, as it must be all the toxins coming out and they would go away, as Sesame oil is also good for treating ulcers anyway in India.
But then I could not even open my mouth it was so painful, that I had to visit a doctor and get medicines to get rid of the blisters. After that, I decided I will not try OP.
Now again I suddenly remembered it and as I am in my 50s with all the associated problems related to this age, I thought I would start again.
So I started with once a day early in the morning and slowly as the week progressed I have started doing it twice a day.
Till now I have had no problems and I really like doing it.I also have not noticed any positive changes in me, but that is okay, we have to give time to healing to see results. I am willing to wait. I feel I must have got too excited and had started doing 3 times previously, that is why too many toxins were released and caused the blister problem. This time I am more sensible, if I see some problem, I would reduce it to once a day, and see when I can re start it to twice a day, or even stop it for a while I have no doubt in my mind regarding its goodness. I have done it both with sesame oil as well as coconut oil. I don't like sun flower and olive oil. I would keep alternating between Coconut and sesame oil.
I will soon get back with my updates.
Loose Teeth
Posted by Billie (Washington State, Usa) on 09/12/2013
★★★★★
Coconut Oil Pulling For Uterine Health, Stopped Teeth from Shifting
I started oil pulling with coconut oil about three weeks ago. I have a stubborn fibroid, and after being on six month herbal regiment to shrink it, while it helped, I just didn't want to take all those herbs anymore. It did help reduce my period from heavy and seven days to about five days, and lessened the flow -- sorry if that's TMI :)
Anyway, I researched oil pulling and what caught my attention was that a person who had a problem with shifting teeth, once they started oil pulling, their teeth stopped shifting. Mine have been shifting since I got my braces off 8 years ago. I have to wear my retainer at night. So I started oil pulling and I have not had to wear my retainer since; my teeth have stayed straight and are whitening beautifully.
Even better though, my most recent period only lasted three days, and it was extremely light. I don't have any joint pain, I feel refreshed. I am hoping that it helped shrink my fibroid a bit more, as I am combining this with Chaste berry and serrapeptase, as well as drinking ACV water.
I feel better than I did when I was in my 20s. I love oil pulling; it's easy, I do it in the shower, and after I spit out the oil I gargle with salt water to loosen the little bit of oil from my mouth and then brush. If you haven't started oil pulling and are still trying to decide, give it a try for about a week, especially if you are suffering from arthritis. A week won't hurt you, and sparing fiftheen minutes before breakfast to do this -- you won't regret it.
Detoxification
Posted by Vee (Texas, Usa) on 08/13/2013
I am on day 2 of oil pulling with Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) and its doing something-just not sure what. I do have questions though. This morning right after swishing I had a bowel movement. Then a small one again when I came home for lunch. About an hour and a half later I was at work & had to rush to the bathroom where I had a loose (and somewhat explosive) bowel movement that kind of scared me-sorry for the gross details. I suffer from constipation often & don't go this often & haven't eaten anything different so I guess I can contribute this to the oil. The most noticiable difference is my energy-I have none! Today I have been deathly tired-more tired than I've been in some time. I also experienced what seem to be faster heartbeats today. Is this normal? And I'm not using organic EVOO-is this ok? I have sesame seed oil in my cupboard but it's not organic & just says pure-can I use this? And what I'm most confused about is brushing afterwards. Is using your regular toothpaste ok? Hopefully I can get some help with these questions. I'll continue to post updates on my progress. Thanks in advance for the help!
Broad Benefits
Posted by Jeffrey (Hartly, Delaware) on 06/12/2013
★★★★★
I started oil pulling several months ago, using sesame oil for 20 minutes first thing in the morning. Before I started I had severe flaking of facial skin and dandruff. Since then, the facial skin flaking and dandruff has almost disappeared. Also, before oil pulling, I used a saline solution to clear my nostrils, since oil pulling my nostrils are clear, and there is no need for the saline solution. I recommend oil pulling to everyone. Great stuff!
Dental Issues
Posted by Om (Hope, B.c., Canada) on 05/21/2013
★★★★★
To Clio51 from Manchester. According to Ayurvedic books, oil pulling should be done in the early morning before drink or food with sesame oil. In twenty minutes the oil should look white when expelled. Then rinse mouth several times. The action is on all energy points on the tongue , that is why oil pulling benefits all body organs.
I have done it now for almost a year and loose teeth are firm again. Otherwise my teeth have whitened over time. Other benefits may be there as I have no other issues. Keep it up. Om
Castor Oil
Posted by Gg (Lalaland, Ca) on 04/06/2013
Castor Oil? Seriously? I have been a castor oil user for years, but only externally. The castor bean is poisonous, I used to use castor bean plants around my garden to repel gophers and moles until they were the accidental cause of death of a neighbors puppy... After reading this I decided to check my bottle in the cabinet and it clearly says on it for external use only... I'm not sure, but it is in the nightshade family isnt it?
Chronic Sinusitis
Posted by Peachytechgirl (Atlanta, Ga) on 03/22/2013
★★★★★
I wanted to comment and say that oil pulling with organic extra virgin Olive oil has worked for me in the 2 short days that I have tried it. I am very glad I found this website.
I suffer from standard sinus problems and I've found that I flush my sinuses multiple times hourly. 2 days ago, I averaged maybe 5 sinus flushes per hour (using saline spray). Then I tried oil pulling.
Day one after starting oil pulling, I flushed my sinuses maybe once an hour. Day two, I've barely flushed at all. I can breatheeee!!! I can inhale and exhale and feel deep clean breaths in my nasal cavities.
Regarding oil pulling for teeth... I have one amalgam filling and was hesitant to begin oil pulling. After research on various websites, I found that other people reported oil pulling with fillings and didn't experience issues. The general understanding is that if you do experience issues with your fillings, there was pre-existing damage anyway. I visit the dentist regularly and I know that my fillings are entact, so I went ahead and began my routine.
I have not experienced any metallic tastes or other abnormalities. I will send an update if I do. Despite only starting this routine within the last 2 days, my teeth are shiny. I floss regularly, and I don't experience bleeding, but my gums are slightly swollen. Since I've started pulling, I've noticed that my gums don't feel swollen anymore. They feel very healthy.
Here is my routine:
I oil pull first thing in the morning with 1TBL/3tsp of evoo. (The oil that I use is standard and found in the organic section of my grocery store. ) I typically pull for 10-15 minutes. I can really feel the change of the oil in my mouth once I reach the end of the swishing period.
I spit it out, and immediately rinse with warm water. I brush my teeth with a tooth powder solution consisting of baking soda and sea salt, and then I gargle again with the remaining warm water (with some of the tooth powder mixed in). I then gargle one more time with just regular warm water to ensure I've cleaned my mouth thoroughly.
In the evenings I floss and gargle with warm water and baking soda/sea salt. In the 2 short days that I've oil pulled, I've noticed that my floss is removing more plaque than before (despite not changing eating habits), so I am definitely happy with the results thus far.
If I do experience any negative effects, I will send an update, but overall I am very happy so far with my oil pulling routine.
Side Effects
Posted by Blistered (Chicago, Il) on 02/27/2013
I tried oil pulling for the first time this morning using Meditteranean blend oil, which contains soya, sunflower and extra virgin olive oil. I did this before eating and drinking anything. I swished for 20 mins. , then rinsed with warm water, brushed my teeth and drank three glasses of water. It is now evening and I now have blisters in my mouth. Never had them before. Has this happened to someone else? Am I swishing too long, using wrong oil?? What can I do to avoid getting blisters. Thank you!!
