Oral hygiene is something that all of us practice differently. For example, when I was in college, I had two roommates who could not have been more opposite when it came to cleanliness.
One of them brushed his teeth probably three times a day, while the other one… well, I never saw him brush his teeth once.
So, I’ve always wondered what he did to keep his mouth clean. I think I may have found out his secret. A centuries-old technique known as oil pulling.
Oil pulling is the practice of filling your mouth with organic oils and then swishing them around just like you would water after brushing your teeth.
Many different oils work, but most people like to use coconut oil. Mix it around in your mouth for at least 20 minutes and then dispose of it in the trash can (not the sink, because these oils are heavy and will clog your drainage system).
The oil you keep in your mouth for 20 minutes binds to any bacteria that may be lurking in spots that your toothbrush and floss can’t easily get to. Not to mention, oil pulling provides a myriad of other health benefits.
Here are six great things that happen once you start oil pulling:
Your teeth get whiter
Organic oils are naturally antibiotic and antiviral, meaning they work wonders at cleaning teeth.
You’ll start noticing whiter teeth and an overall healthier mouth after just two weeks of oil pulling. In fact, Gwyneth Paltrow is known to oil pull every morning, and her smile is notoriously white!
It boosts energy levels
When you start oil pulling, you start removing a lot of the toxic stuff that builds up in your mouth.
This is normally the immune system’s job, but since you’re doing it instead, your body doesn’t have to work as hard to clean itself up. This means more energy for other functions and feeling better in general.
It helps detox the body
When germs find their way into our bodies, they like to cause problems like inflammation, disease and illness. Unfortunately, most germs like to make their way into the body through our mouths.
So, if we keep our mouths as clean as possible, we can actually kill toxins and germs before they diffuse throughout the body.
Helps keep hormone production regular
Hormones can be a touchy part of the human body. It’s best to keep them functioning as normally and regularly as possible, and a good way to make sure that happens is by eliminating all other foreign substances they may have to fight through.
Oil pulling helps maintain a balance.
Helps reduce headaches
When you’re having a headache or an intense migraine, your body is trying to tell you that you need to do things differently. It’s trying to tell you it needs help rejuvenating.
Oil pulling helps rid the body of bacteria that leads to prolonged head pains.
Promotes healthy skin
Shockingly enough, oil pulling even provides health benefits to our skin. When you prevent and eliminate toxins from your system, your skin reaps the rewards.
Keeping your blood clean and healthy has a large effect on your skin. Don’t be surprised if any skin problems you’ve had in the past start to clear up or fade away completely after practicing oil pulling!
Have you ever tried oil pulling? What worked for you?
Reference: Higherperspectives
