I’m sure you’ve all heard about oil pulling. It has become fairly popular in recent years, but not everyone knows what oil pulling is, and why it can be so beneficial to your health. Here’s the scoop on oil pulling:

What is Oil Pulling?
Oil pulling is an ancient folk health remedy that has you swish or hold oil in your mouth for a short period of time (from what I’ve seen 15-20 minutes is the norm) which “pulls out” oral germs, bacteria and other toxins that you then expel from your body when you spit out the oil.

The Science Behind Oil Pulling
Oil pulling originates from Ayurveda, a holistic system of traditional medicine native to the Indian subcontinent and can be traced as far back as 5,000 BCE. They described an oil swishing which was called ‘Kavala gandusha’. They used this method as a way to detoxify the body and alleviate, and heal a multitude of diseases.[5] According to this traditional medicine oil pulling can be used to cure not only oral health but problems with overall health as well. According to Ayurveda, oil pulling is believed to be able to “cure around 30 systematic diseases ranging from headache, migraine to diabetes and asthma.”[1] Oil pulling has traditionally been used as preventative as well as curative, through the use of different gargling techniques and blends of oils and herbs . [2] Oil pulling has recently become very popular although most people are unaware of it’s origin as a traditional holistic treatment.

How to Oil Pull
Oil pulling is pretty simple. You just take a spoon full of a high quality, unrefined plant oil such as sesame oil, sunflower oil or coconut oil. I’ve found that most people opt for coconut or sesame oil. You put it in your mouth and start swooshing it around as you would normal mouthwash. Be sure to pull it between your teeth! You do this swooshing for 15-20 minutes and then you SPIT IT OUT. This is the most important step. DO NOT swallow the oil. The point is to expel all of the bacteria and toxins. If you swallow you’re just reentering the toxins back into your body with needless calories.

What are the benefits?
Although opinions are mixed on whether or not oil pulling actually offers any health benefits, people who use the oil pulling method swear by it. Oil pulling has been said to offer the following benefits:

1. Reduces germs that cause plaque and gingivitis and tooth decay
One study[3] showed that oil pulling is effective in reducing an oral bacteria known as Streptococcus mutans which is a major cause of tooth decay and a bacteria that promotes the growth of plaque. This may be the reason that many people who swear by oil pulling say that they experience less plaque, gingivitis and have an overall healthier mouth after oil pulling.

2. Whitens teeth
Although there is no scientific evidence to back this claim up, just a simple Google image search will amaze you with the many people who experienced whiter, brighter teeth after adding oil pulling to their daily regimen. While you may not experience the same results, for those of you who enjoy a cup of coffee in the mornings, the oil may protect you from developing any further stains. So that’s a win in my book!

3. Reduces bad breath
I’m not really sure how people have measured this, but in doing my research nearly every person I’ve seen who swears by this method says that it helps with their bad breath and/or to get rid of morning breath. There are antimicrobial properties in oils such as coconut oil [4], which may be the reason that these bad breath causing germs are reduced after oil pulling.

4. Detoxifying
This seems to be the most controversial of the claims. People who use the oil pulling method say that the detoxification has helped them clear eczema, clear acne, given them more energy, cure insomnia, and helped cure cold symptoms. These claims have been heavily disputed by some, and said to be a placebo effect by others, but nearly everyone agrees that oil pulling isn’t harmful so if you get results similar to the ones people have claimed then great, and if you don’t, no harm done. A win-win, and a reason for everyone to at least try it out and see if it works for you.

5. Bonus...It apparently is an effective hangover cure!
 From what I saw, the effectiveness of this hangover cure ranged from having the duration of a hangover "shortened" [6] to feeling "leagues better" [7] after just 10 minutes of oil pulling, and a lot of other varying results in between. So the next time you have a hangover instead of adding more toxins to your body using the "hair of the dog" method or loading up on aspirin try to oil pull and just maybe you will experience the natural hangover remedy you've always been looking for.

References:
1. Singh, Abhinav, and Bharathi Purohit. “Tooth Brushing, Oil Pulling and Tissue Regeneration: A Review of Holistic Approaches to Oral Health.” Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine 2.2 (2011): 64–68. PMC. Web. 20 Jan. 2015. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3131773/

2. “Drsonicakrishan: Oil Pulling : Best Ayurvedic Treatment Guide for Oral Health & Detoxification.” Drsonicakrishan: Oil Pulling : Best Ayurvedic Treatment Guide for Oral Health & Detoxification. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2015. Available from: http://drsonicakrishan.blogspot.com/2014/05/oil-pulling-best-ayurvedic-treatment.html

3. Asokan S, Rathan J, Muthu M S, Rathna PV, Emmadi P, Raghuraman, Chamundeswari. Effect of oil pulling on Streptococcus mutans count in plaque and saliva using Dentocult SM Strip mutans test: A randomized, controlled, triple-blind study. J Indian Soc Pedod Prev Dent [serial online] 2008 [cited 2015 Jan 19];26:12-7. Available from: http://www.jisppd.com/text.asp?2008/26/1/12/40315

4. “Kent State University.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2015. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24328700>.

5. “The Beauty of Simple Aryuvedic Practices to Enhance Your Vitality (ojas) and to Serve as Steps to Aging with Grace and Beauty.” East West Aroma School. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2015.

6. Sinks, Tynan. I Tried Oil Pulling Because I Was Sick Of Hearing Everyone Else Talk About It. Http://www.xojane.com/, 24 Apr. 2014. Web. 19 Jan. 2015.

7. “HANGOVER CURES.” BeWellRun. N.p., 28 Oct. 2013. Web. 19 Jan. 2015.

Written by Nicolle Chase
SALVE and SalveNaturals.com © 2015 All Rights Reserved

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If you haven’t seen the SALVE recipe yet for homemade toothpaste, you can find it here.

Why homemade toothpaste?
You may be wondering, with so may options for toothpaste on the market, what’s the point of making my own? Well there are three major reasons.

1. Most toothpastes on the market are loaded with harmful chemicals and fillers that are cheap, arguably harmful to your health, and contain unnatural ingredients which have been linked to an array of health problems. And because you are presumably brushing your teeth at least two times a day, you are ingesting these toxins twice a day everyday which can be harmful to your overall health.Natural is the way to go. While you can find natural toothpastes on the market today often they are more expensive and come in a smaller tube than your average toothpaste which brings me to the second reason you should be making your own toothpaste.
2. It is more cost effective. Plus natural toothpaste uses products that you probably already have in your kitchen.
3. Homemade toothpaste can be customized to your liking. You can use our recipe as a base, add ingredients and take out ingredients.

So why did we choose these ingredients?
We put a lot of thought into our choice of ingredients and used products that have all been shown to be helpful for oral care, so let’s break it down:

First: Coconut oil
Coconut oil has antimicrobial properties, which can kill the bacteria in your mouth that cause bad breath and lead to tooth decay. Also the oil will leave your teeth feeling nice and polished with a protective layer from coffee tea and any other teeth staining food and drinks. [1]

Second: Baking Soda
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) much like coconut oil has so many natural uses and is handy to keep around the house because you can pretty much always find a use for it. But it also has many benefits when it comes to the health of your teeth. As you may know baking soda is an effective tooth whitener, you can even use it alone, by dissolving it in warm water and brushing. It also is effective in the fight against plaque which can lead to tooth decay. [2]

Third: Peppermint oil
Peppermint oil has so many natural benefits and it is also one of the best essential oils for oral health. It has antiseptic properties, can protect against tooth decay and gum health and been shown to inhibit the growth of cavities. It has also widely been used to fight bad breath, and who doesn’t love that fresh mint feeling after your brush?

Fourth: Neem OIl
Let me start this section by stating that neem oil is a very powerful medicinal oil. Neem oil when used properly is a great way to prevent plaque, gingivitis and gum disease. Not only that but one study showed that a neem based mouth rinse was just as effective as your traditional mouthwash in its antigingivitis and antiplaque properties but it also had fewer side effects than traditional mouthwash! [3] Neem oil should also NOT be ingested. You can get neem oil online from SALVE [all natural and organic skin care].

Fifth: Xylitol (optional)
Some people may need to add a little sweetness to their toothpaste, and for that reason we added the optional sweetener xylitol to our recipe. Xylitol is a natural sweetener, but it has been shown to repair damaged enamel, and is effective in the fight against cavities by reducing cavity causing bacteria.[4]

While we used these ingredients for our version of natural toothpaste there are also many other natural ingredients that have benefits for your oral health that you can use to make this recipe your own.

References:

1. “Result Filters.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2015. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24328700>.

2. “Rahbar Dentistry: Dental Matters That Really Matter.” Benefits of Brushing Your Teeth with Baking Soda. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2015. <http://rahbardentistry.blogspot.com/2011/09/benefits-of-brushing-your-teeth-with.html>.

3. Chatterjee, Anirban et al. “To Evaluate the Antigingivitis and Antipalque Effect of an Azadirachta Indica (neem) Mouthrinse on Plaque Induced Gingivitis: A

Double-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Trial.” Journal of Indian Society of Periodontology 15.4 (2011): 398–401. PMC. Web. 20 Jan. 2015.

4. Pierini, Carolyn. “Xylitol: A Sweet Alternative.” Unique Sweetener Supports Oral Health (n.d.): n. pag. Www.iprogressivemed.com. The Institute for Progressive Medicine. Web. <www.iprogressivemed.com/misc/xylitol_a_sweet_alternative.pdf>.

Written by Nicolle Chase
SALVE and SalveNaturals.com © 2015 All Rights Reserved

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