Two Years Later: Am I Still Oil-Pulling? (An Update)

Back in 2011, I wrote a blog post about my experience with "oil-pulling". 

Two years later, that single post is still getting more hits than all my other posts combined, so I figured it was time for an update.

Perhaps you're wondering: Am I still "oil-pulling"?

You bet!! Every morning, faithfully, without fail.

And you know what?

I haven't had one cold, one sore throat, one ear infection, one blocked nose, one toothache in all this time. Not one! I believe there's a few reasons for this (low-to-no sugar diet, green smoothies, plenty of fruit and vegetables, exercise and fresh air etc), but oil-pulling is right up there as one of the top 3 reasons (I believe) I don't get sick.

My husband also started oil-pulling about 6 months ago and swears his teeth are whiter now. He hasn't had any colds, sore throats, sniffles etc. in that time, either.

My 8 year old son has also just started oil-pulling in the mornings, although only for 10 minutes, while my husband and I continue on for 15 - 20 minutes.

Living in a large household of 14, not everybody "gets" my passion for natural remedies and healthy living. I've had more than my share of strange looks and searching glances as a I go about my morning routine, with lips tightly sealed and making grunting noises and exaggerated hand gestures when the need arises to communicate with another human. Or the facial contortions that result from a sudden, and unfortunate, desire to sneeze..

I comfort myself with the knowledge that all great heroes down through the ages were first considered to be quite insane. I'm in good company here...!! Someday they'll realize how brilliant I really am..He,he.)

BUT WHY DOES OIL-PULLING WORK?

When I wrote that first post, I didn't really understand how or why oil-pulling worked.

As I learn more about health and how the body works, I think I understand better why oil-pulling has so many health-benefits.

Our mouth and tongue reveal the state of our inner health. Tooth and gum problems are the obvious, external symptoms of deteriorating health on the inside. We have an estimated 600 strains of bacteria in our mouth, and an estimated total of about 10 BILLION.

Some of these bacterial strains are helpful, some are benign and some are downright aggressive and troublesome. Every person has their own unique combination of micro-organisms and bacteria.

People who are overweight have different microbes in their mouth than people of healthy weight. Even early stages of cancer can be detected by the types of bacteria present in the mouth.

It's been known and documented for over 80 years (called the "focal theory of infection"), that tooth decay, gum disease and root canal therapy spread disease and infection to other parts of the body via the bloodstream, and affect the chemistry of the blood. 

In the early part of the 20th century, a dentist named Dr Weston Price became interested in the link between poor dental health and overall health. He had a patient with severe arthritis, and after extracting her decaying tooth, he cleaned it and inserted the tooth under the skin of a rabbit. 

Within 2 days, the rabbit developed crippling arthritis and died after 10 days. Meanwhile the patient made a miraculous recovery from arthritis. Dr Price went on to repeat the experiment on patients with kidney, eye and heart problems, rheumatism, stomach ulcers...all with the same result - the (poor) rabbit began to develop the same symptoms that the patient once had. 

Yet when a sterile tooth was inserted under the skin of a rabbit, no infection occurred or side-effects noted.

The Mayo Clinic has produced over 200 scientific papers on the subject of focal infections. Oral bacteria can be responsible for seemingly unrelated issues like heart attacks, strokes, arthritis, migraines, diabetes and hormonal imbalance. Bacteria that are "good" in the mouth can become harmful when removed from their normal environment, via sores or open wounds or tooth decay in the mouth which then gives the bacteria access to the bloodstream.

So, when we "oil-pull", it neutralizes and removes harmful bacteria from our mouth, which allows our bodies to get on with the task of healing and renewing, freed from the burden of constant re-infection from bacteria in our mouths.

One of my favourite sites on the net is EarthClinic. This is my first port-of-call when somebody I know has a health issue, people from all around the world write in with their experiences using different home remedies. You'll see that Oil-Pulling is the second most popular remedy, with Apple Cider Vinegar coming in first place.

Health issues that have been helped by "oil-pulling" include:

 - depression

 - back pain

 - arthritis

 - irregular periods

 - sinus problems

 - tooth and gum disease

 - allergies and hayfever

 - obesity (Weight loss feedback seems more common when using coconut oil)

 - food cravings and caffeine addictions

 - acne

 - ear infections

 - snoring

 - oedema (fluid retention)

 - discolored teeth

 - coughs and colds

 - fatigue

 - poor circulation

 - menopause symptoms

 - swollen lymph nodes

 - eczema

 - insomnia

 - digestive problems

 - vaginal infections

 - hives

Not bad for a cheap remedy that can be done at home by anybody...!

For instructions on how to do oil-pulling, click here. 

I can't recommend oil-pulling highly enough. I've seen and felt the positive side-effects of daily oil-pulling, and I'll stick to it as long as humanly possible. I've encouraged a couple of other people to try it, and they also experienced positive effects, especially for sinus problems.

PS. Oil-Pulling is one of the habits I practice for excellent health. You can read about the other habits in my new e-book "100% Alive: 7 Habits That Transformed My Health & My Life", available on Amazon.

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