COCONUT OIL PULLING: AN ANCIENT PRACTICE WITH AMAZING BENEFITS

When it comes to the health of your teeth and gums, chances are excellent that you’ve been taught about the importance of brushing and flossing. It’s less likely that you’ve heard about a technique that may be even more effective: coconut oil pulling. The beneficial effects of coconut oil pulling — which has its roots in Ayurvedic medicine — have now been verified by increasing numbers of scientific studies.

The bottom line is that coconut oil pulling is one of the very best forms of oral detoxification and general dental care: It removes harmful bacteria from your mouth, supports the overall health of your teeth and gums, and even naturally whitens your teeth. What may really surprise you is that coconut oil pulling has been proven even more effective than flossing (whose supposed benefits are now being widely questioned).

So what exactly is coconut oil pulling, and how do you do it?

COCONUT OIL PULLING: A HOW-TO GUIDE

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In brief, coconut oil pulling simply involves swishing a tablespoon of coconut oil around in your mouth, for 15-20 minutes. For best results, follow these steps and guidelines:

1. Choose high-quality coconut oil: cold-pressed, extra-virgin, and organic is the best.

2. Oil pulling is best done first thing in the morning before you eat or drink anything. That said, don’t worry if you forget, and have a cup of tea or coffee, or your breakfast, first.

3. Place approximately 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in your mouth. While the oil is still on the spoon, you can add a drop or two of clove and/or tea tree essential oil, for their medicinal qualities; or a drop or two of peppermint essential oil, for flavoring.

4. Swish the oil around your mouth for 15-20 minutes, then spit it out. (Best to spit it into the compost or garbage can, since the oil may clog your drain.) This may seem like a long time, but you can easily complete other tasks — e.g. checking your texts or email, making your bed, or taking a shower — during this time.

5. Brush as usual, with toothpaste or — even better — an herbal toothpowder. The idea here is just to make sure that the residues of the coconut oil are removed from your teeth and gums, to fully remove the bacteria, etc. that the oil has just pulled.

6. Do this 3-5 times weekly for the best results.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF COCONUT OIL PULLING

As outlined by Dr. Axe, the benefits of coconut oil pulling are truly far-reaching, and go well beyond the health of your teeth and gums, to encompass the well-being of your entire body. This impressive array of health benefits includes:

“An Ancient Healing Modality That Actually Works and is Available to Everyone…”

Treating tooth decay
Eliminating bad breath
Healing bleeding gums
Preventing heart disease
Reducing inflammation
Whitening teeth
Soothing throat dryness
Preventing cavities
Healing cracked lips
Boosting the immune system
Improving acne
Strengthening gums and jaw

HOW COCONUT OIL PULLING WORKS

Now at this point, a very fair question to ask would be: How exactly does this very simple and kind of strange activity — swishing coconut oil around in my mouth — actually support the health of my teeth and gums? How is this possible?

The hundreds of different kinds of bacteria in your mouth create a thin biofilm, known as “plaque.” While it’s normal to have a bit of plaque on your teeth, a larger build-up can cause a variety of problems: gum irritation/inflammation, bad breath, gingivitis, and cavities.

The way oil pulling works, in relation to this bacterial buildup, is similar to how dish soap cleans dirty dishes: It sweeps the bacteria away from your teeth and gums and dissolves/traps it in the liquid oil. The coconut oil literally sucks the bacteria and other toxins out of your mouth, leaving you with a newly clean and antiseptic oral environment.

So … give it a try! Coconut oil pulling is a tooth and gum-care technique that not only has the backing of Western science but also whose effectiveness has been celebrated for hundreds if not thousands of years by India’s Ayurvedic tradition.

Here at Project Wellness Now, we’re fully committed to supporting your health and happiness, in any and all ways that we can.