Oil Pulling: Unlock Natural Oral Health & Detox Benefits

I am 21 years old, 5' 3", and 203 pounds according to my scale today. Since oil pulling, my keratosis pilaris has cleared up considerably. I still have a few bumps but my skin all over has a nice glow and I no longer have the red bumps that gave my skin the 'chicken skin' look. But I did recently have a visit to the beach, and I've always known that salt water + sun calms down my keratosis pilaris too. When I first started oil pulling I had the same effects but it took longer, but with the combined 'treatments' my skin is very smooth.

I've always had a glow to my face since I use the Oil Cleansing Method, but the added effect of Oil Pulling certainly helps too. My stretchmarks have faded, but I've been using organic unrefined virgin coconut oil (used for pulling as well, I got a pound of it off Amazon for fourty bucks, it's lasted me over six months and I still have 1/4 of it left) everytime I get out of the shower for over a year. I'm not sure if it has helped my dark circles. They're hereditary and have always been dark, like I got punched in both my eyes. I suppose I have been using less concealer lately...

My teeth are cleaner, whiter, and stronger. I have a tooth that is beyond being fixed, but I don't have the money to get it extracted. Oil pulling definitely keeps the pain away and helps keep food particles out. My tongue is always pink, my breath never smells bad. But I also use baking soda and peroxide to brush my teeth and tongue. I have a slightly crooked jaw caused by me chewing mostly on my left side do to my decaying tooth on the right side. It doesn't hurt anymore and I'm pretty sure my jaw line has gotten more defined. My left side is also the side that has fillings and the pulling doesn't effect them at all.

I have more energy. I'm really not a morning person but with a new job I started I have to get up around 6:30 am. Without oil pulling I don't think I'd be able to drag myself out of bed.

And since oil pulling, I haven't wanted to smoke marijuana. I actually stopped completely a week and a half ago. I'm not sure if it's because I'm oil pulling or because I stopped smoking weed or both, but I eat less and people have told me my over all appearance looks tighter like I've been working out. I have been walking a lot more, that's for sure. Probably because my energy is up. Yay!

Also, my dreams are a lot more vivid and I can remember them when I wake up. Also might be a side effect of not smoking anymore, but I have oil pulled longer than I haven't been smoking and know for a fact that my dreams started when I began oil pulling. I've probably had more energy because I have been getting a deeper sleep, and I only need 8 hours as opposed to the 10 hours I've been used to!

All in all, I've had a positive outcome to oil pulling and I don't plan to stop. Even if it's just a placebo effect, I definitely feel better and healthier. :)

I first heard of oil pulling in Dr Ott's column in our local newspaper, I then looked it up on the web. I bought a bottle of sesame oil at the grocery that tasted awful as it was pure but toasted. I misremembered what I'd quickly read/scanned on the web and bought a big bottle of safflower oil at a local health food store and started using it. I immediately began to see results and within a week or so my mouth was mostly healed up. The first time in over ten years without constant pain.

Enjoying such remarkable results I started reading more about oil pulling and realized that sunflower not safflower was the preferred oil. The next time I visited the health food store I picked up big bottles of sesame and sunflower and a bottle of hemp oil. I began pulling three times a day, with the very delicious hemp mid-day, in a couple of days I suddenly had day long diarrhea every 30-40 minutes followed by a half day of the same. I quit the hemp oil and my stool firmed up. I continued twice a day alternating between the sesame and sunflower, then I went to once a day first with sesame for a few days then sunflower for a few days all the while my old symptoms were resurfacing though not nearly so virulently. I then decided to revert to the safflower oil that seemed to have done so much good at first and my mouth seems better by the day; not perfect but lots better. Once a day seems sufficient though I sometimes pull at bedtime as well as morning.

My point here is that different oils definitely do different things and those things may differ with the individual. There is no question in my mind as to the power of oil pulling.

To give some idea of my condition:

I have had clinically diagnosed (biopsy) oral lichen planus which has persisted and worsened for more than 10 years. Modern medical science can only offer steroids to lessen symptoms (and the one med- pack I took didn't help at all) or oral steroid ointments, that also did no good. Alternative medicine offers three basic cures that list different countries of origin but all mail out of Pakistan, modest benefit if any. Limiting spicy and acidic foods helped slightly. Various homeopathic, vitamin, colloidal silver and nutritional protocols weren't helpful. A tea tree oil mouthwash did about as much as anything. For much of the time brushing my teeth was out of the question.

My condition has been a never ending series of almost healing for a few days followed by blisters that cover the inside of the cheeks and over the gums which burst and then peel in layers for days & weeks on end keeping the inside of my mouth raw to the point it hurt to drink water and it hurt even more when eating. As I write this I can still find sore spots in my mouth, but I have to seek them out. I am noticing other changes like smelling things I haven't smelled in years.

I am only 6 weeks into this we'll see how it is in 12. JTK

I found this site just a week ago after coming home from the dentist extremely frustrated (on top of having a 1/2 numb face for the next two hours). Over the last few months I've been drawn to natural cures actually for my spouse, not myself, to help cure her polymyositis and fibromyalgia (off topic, but magnet therapy is helping). Anyway, after that trip to the dentist I said, "there HAS to be a better way!" Briefly, I'll state my history as having struggled with gum disease for at least the last ten years. It has gotten much worse in the last year. Unfortunately, I had an accident last fall that further irritated two of my teeth that were already slightly loose. When I went to the dentist last Thursday to see what could be done I was really upset that 1) my insurance wouldn't cover a deep cleaning because I'd had one within the last three years 2) I needed to get that cleaning (I agreed) to help keep my teeth clean and 3) that it would cost me ~$500 for just ONE side of my mouth ~ and the total would have been ~$1,600 out of pocket (includes injecting antibiotics directly into eight teeth/gum areas at ~$40/tooth)! Because I thought I *needed it,* I bit the bullet and got one side done but when I got home I was determined to find another way. It was too much discomfort and I didn't want to pay for it if I didn't have to. That's when I stumbled upon oil pulling. I thought it sounded absolutely too good to be true but with all of the testimonials and the fact that it had very little risk why not try it? Well, last Friday morning, 6/18/2010, I started with Sunflower oil. I lasted about 12 minutes. I thought it taste rather bland so I switched to organic, virgin sesame oil the next day and have been using that up until today, Friday, 6/24/2010. My results are as follows:

1-After day one I immediately noticed that my teeth became a little whiter
2-After day two I became really congested and had to blow my nose a LOT. I also had a couple of pimples pop up, which have since cleared. I think the sunflower was better for whitening quickly.
3-After day three I noticed that I was sleeping a lot deeper and had a ton of energy during the day
4-As of last night I noticed that both of my loose teeth are secured. I would say that one is 95% while the other is trailing at 90%!
5-My skin seems a little clearer.

I am ASTOUNDED by these results as I'm 29 years old and was worried to death about losing them. My own sibling who is a dentist in another state told me that something drastic needed to be done or I would lose them. :( Also, a dentist that I was going to every three months up until earlier this year (I've recently relocated) wanted to do a LASER procedure to penetrate the gums and fix the problem. I'm SO glad I didn't do that! The only reason I didn't do it is because the timing was bad with me preparing to relocate and that procedure would have also been ~$1,600 out of pocket. (My sister did tell me not to do laser because it was too invasive and not necessary).

At any rate, that's my report after a full seven days. I'm grateful to not lose my appetite like some others here because I'm underweight and am consuming a lot in order try and gain 10 pounds. That is another journey in itself, but it's coming along now that I'm tracking my caloric intake. OP has made junk food less appealing, which is a good thing. My process is to brush and floss as usual, OP for 5-10 minutes, spit, rinse, brush with water and baking soda and rinse one more time. It sounds like a lot but it's not that bad. Fifteen minutes go by quickly if you just fill it by checking your email. Besides, 15 minutes a day to save thousands of dollars and unnecessary pain is worth it! Oh, I also cut down on sodas tremendously over the last week. I had about three rather than one a day. I drank mostly water - had no desire for soda.

I'm so excited about this I want to tell my family and friends but I'm going to wait until 30 days go by. I know they're going to be skeptical, especially the dentist, but if she can get a hold of my dental records then there will be proof! My wife has now decided to try it. Yesterday was her first day and not more than ten minutes after doing it she felt "different" and had to release phlegm. This morning she woke up with me at 5:00 as chipper as ever, very energetic without the aid of coffee, an energy drink or Adderall. We're both amazed. I do worry that her healing process may be unbearable as she's been struggling with chronic illnesses for at least eight years, but it would worth it if she no longer had to deal with them or prescription drugs with horrific side effects.

Sorry, this post is a lot longer than I intended it to be.

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.

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.

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

I started oil pulling - for the first 2 weeks twice a day and then once a day. The abscess looked better and better but did not go away. Daily i would clean out any accumulated pus, and eventually i only had to do that every 3 days or so. Then - one morning after 2 months of this - when I went to clean it out to my great surprise a small bubble came out - the outside was clear and inside was a bright grass green color. After that day, the abscess completely healed. It has been three months and everything is just fine. Thank you so much for the information that you post here. I used 1 tablespoon of Cold Pressed Sesame Oil and I added a few drops of Oregano Oil to it for oil pulling. I am still oil pulling, switching types of oil every few months.

Kazza Veronica

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!

We are grateful that you have taken time to contribute your findings on the recent oil pulling. It is with joy that we hear it is working out. You will never bother us with any comment, good or bad, on your experience with a remedy or question about a problem. We all enjoy learning from each other at Earth Clinic! Thanks.

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.