If you’re looking for more information about ayurvedic oil pulling, then hopefully this blog post will explain how it helps your body and what it is.
Though essentially sucking on oil may seem like a strange health practice, it’s a long-standing Ayurvedic health practice that’s becoming more and more mainstream. If you’ve come across the practice of ayurvedic oil pulling, but you want to find out more, this blog post will hopefully help!
What is oil pulling?
Oil pulling is the practice of swishing oil around the mouth for up to 20 minutes and has been in use for thousands of years. With teeth whitening and breath-freshening benefits that have been long proven, it’s begun to catch the eye of Western dental health enthusiasts. However, it isn’t only dental benefits that can come from oil pulling.
With both Ayurvedic and Western medical practitioners recognising that toxins and bacteria build up in the mouth, there is the belief that oil pulling (or swishing!) draws out these impurities and washes them cleanly from the mouth. As the toxins in the mouth tend to be oil-soluble, this Ayurvedic dental care practice is highly effective.
How does oil pulling work?
Though we’ll get into the benefits of oil pulling in more detail, you may wonder how these benefits come about. With increased blood flow to tissues due to the action of oil swishing, the tissues can carry more nutrition to the necessary areas and carry more waste away. With improved blood flow to the area, the gums and surrounding oral tissues are bound to see the benefits. As pain in the mouth revolves around a stagnation of prana, it is believed amongst Ayurvedic practitioners that oil pulling will reduce stagnation and help to relieve pain.
With studies showing that oil pulling can be as effective as medical-grade anti-plaque and anti-gingivitis treatments, it’s certainly worth a try if you prefer natural methods to medical ones. Some popular oils are sunflower, coconut, sesame, olive and palm oils. When blended sufficiently, these oils help to achieve a doshic balance and offer a more thorough detox.
How can Ayurvedic oil pulling help your body?
If you’re still sceptical and are looking for more information on what oil pulling can do for your body, read on!
It can kill harmful bacteria in your mouth
With approximately 700 types of bacteria that can live in the mouth at any one time, it’s well worth keeping them in check. With certain types of bacteria contributing to problems like bad breath and gum disease, oil pulling has been shown to be an effective way to reduce the number of harmful bacteria in the mouth. As decreasing the number of harmful bacteria in the mouth is key to upholding good oral hygiene, it’s a great natural method for maintaining your mouth’s health.
Can help to reduce bad breath
Bad breath can be a pretty common issue, being caused by anything from infection to tongue coating. Usually, treatments for bad breath involve removing bacteria through an antiseptic mouthwash. However, it has been found that oil pulling is as effective as an antiseptic mouthwash at removing bacteria and reducing bad breath.
May prevent cavities
Cavities are a common issue that stems from tooth decay. Should you have a build-up of bacteria from indulging in one too many sweet foods, you may be suffering with holes in your teeth called cavities. As plaque can also cause cavities as the bacteria can begin to break down food particles and form an acid that destroys enamel, this will need to be removed. Studies have shown that oil pulling helps to decrease the amount of plaque in the mouth and prevent tooth decay.
Reduces inflammation and improves gum health
If you have inflamed gums that bleed easily, oil pulling may help to reduce the inflammation that comes with gum disease. Coconut oil is a particularly effective oil to use for this, as it helps to reduce plaque and improve gum health.
In general, oil pulling has several health benefits that are worth investigating.
With its ability to reduce chronic inflammation in the gums and oral tissues, it’s an excellent way to maintain oral health. However, it’s not only oral health that oil pulling can assist with. As chronic gum inflammation can increase C-Reactive Protein in the body, this in turn can increase the risk of heart disease and weaken the immune system. With this inflammation managed, the body is freer to fight other immune issues. So, it’s certainly beneficial!
With this Ayurvedic practice a thorough approach to detoxification and intrinsic inflammation, it’s a great way to improve general wellness over time.
