Oil Pulling (Ayurvedic Technique) for Oral and Sinus Issues...

[Wayne]

Oil Pulling is an ancient (and inexpensive) Ayurvedic practice that has the potential to help with many health issues that pwCFS often deal with. It involves holding a small amount of sunflower oil (or other kinds of oil) in the mouth for about 20 minutes. I do this almost daily, mainly for the purpose of detoxification, and also for the positive effect it can have on all sorts of dental, oral infection, and sinus issues.

It can also positively affect other common conditions centered in the head area such as allergies, cold and cough, dental caries, gum diseases, infections in the mouth, ear, nose, throat, eyes, and pains like headache, migraine, tooth pain, neck pain, back pain etc, allergic sneezing, lip cracking, and more. I haven't done much research on oil pulling recently, but I did a quick search and found the following website that gives a pretty good introduction:

Oil Pulling - Wonderful Therapy

On this particular page, there are a number of comments toward the bottom, several of which pertain to dental issues. Plus, there are a number of links on the right side which will take you to more in-depth information on this ancient Ayurvedic practice. --- During the process of oil pulling, a lot of toxicity can apparently be pulled into the mouth, so it's important to thoroughly clean the mouth after this is done. Various descriptions are given in the literature about how to do this thorough cleaning, but my own favorite way is to use a bentonite clay solution. Here's the directions for making this thick gel-like solution:

* 1/2 cup of NOW brand bentonite clay powder
* Mix into 1 quart of water, blend at high speed for 1 minute

I hold about one tsp of this gel-like solution in my mouth for about 15-20 minutes after the oil pulling to help sop up some of this toxicity. I recently had a teeth cleaning done, after not having it done for three years. Interestingly, it's been during three years that I've been doing the oil pulling 5-6 times a week. I was wondering how my gums were faring after such a long interval, and discovered they were far better than they were last time I had a teeth cleaning.

Another reason I do oil pulling is because I had many amalgam fillings (and metal crowns) in my mouth for many years, and my understanding is that I almost certainly still have a fairly high amount of "sequestered" mercury in my gums. Since I don't feel this mercury is doing any good, and because it's so close to my already very challenged brain, I believe I'm likely slowly be surely lowering my load of mercury as I continue to methodically do the oil pulling technique over a period of years. I can't say for certain this is happening, but I almost always feel better afterwards, and I think the reason for this is because of the lowering of both metal and pathogenic toxicity in my body.

Wayne

 

[Shellbell]

Hi Wayne, thank you for this information. I think I will give it a try. I have heard good things about oil pulling. Btw,
check your inbox.

Shelly

 

[Rand56]

I second the idea of oil pulling. It is good for taking the tartar off you teeth and for making your gums feel and look healthier. I still do it on occasion and I have heard it's not necessary to really do it for 15 to 20 minutes at a time like Wayne does. I've done it before with sunflower oil, olive oil, and coconut oil. Here's another site with many positive responses to it.....

http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/oil_pulling.html

 

[Calathea]

It's also got a strong reputation as a scam, so if you're interested in it, please make sure you research the other side of the argument too. One giveaway is that the claims made for what it can treat are preposterous.

 

[Wayne]

It's also got a strong reputation as a scam, so if you're interested in it, please make sure you research the other side of the argument too. One giveaway is that the claims made for what it can treat are preposterous.

Isn't a scam a situation where one person unethically gets money at the expense of others? If so, I don't see how somebody recommending an inexpensive therapy that they cannot possibly gain financially from could be considered a scam.

 

[Sushi]

It's also got a strong reputation as a scam, so if you're interested in it, please make sure you research the other side of the argument too. One giveaway is that the claims made for what it can treat are preposterous.

I have personally benefitted a lot and immediately from oil pulling. I don't think it is a "scam" if no one makes any money from it. I bought the sesame oil in Whole Foods!

Also, it is a well documented ayurvedic technique. But it is a totally cheap thing to try and I couldn't imagine any difficult side-effects.

Sushi

 

[Shellbell]

Thanks Sushi for posting this. I don't view this as a scam either. I have other friends who have benefitted from oil pulling too! I already picked up the oil and am ready to get started!

 

[Asklipia]

Oil pulling is a very powerful technique for several reasons. I have used it regularly with excellent results.
I quoted it a while back in that post : #486 in http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?threads/b2-i-love-you.15209/page-25
One caution though : I found sesame oil and olive oil OK for oil pulling, but coconut oil in myself as well as other friends who tried it, maybe because it is a powerful disinfectant, dissolved the cement used in some countries to stick crowns on your teeth. Maybe the cement has small holes where bacteria can live and once they are gone, the cement just goes to powder?
Anyway, don't swallow the crown if it happens! It can be glued back on in a jiffy. In some countries or maybe nowadays they are glued on instead of cemented. Up to now, no problems with glued on crowns.

Oil pulling works this way, as far as I understand :

- it removes some of the load of liposoluble poisons/toxins in the gums (mercury is one such thing) and in the lymph that runs in that very important area (very important for lymphatic purposes);

- it cleans the teeth at their base by dissolving plaque : plaque is made of calcium inhabited by nasties, once the nasties which are liposoluble go, the plaque is not so resistant (same effect as the cement above);

- it exercises a powerful massage effect on the lymphatic system around the articulations of the jaws. Remember we have to munch our food seven times before swallowing? This is why. In that way we induce a lymphatic circulation around the sinuses. This is why oil pulling cleans the sinuses. But lymph is not for cleaning only, it is also for nutrition. The movement brings fresh lymph to the brain area and the eyes. Glaucoma is a lymphatic problem, so are cataracts;

- because at the moment you take oil in your mouth, your liver is informed, it induces formation of bile and some movements of the gallbladder. Without actually eating any fat/calories, you are exercising the muscles of your gallbladder, expelling whatever is stuck there because it is lazy (because you don't eat any fat or it is paralyzed for whatever reason : you never move around because your are sick etc... etc...). So you are moving gallbladder sludge out and this is avoiding future stones.

- not only are you moving sludge out, but you are giving a nice little exercise to your gallbladder, making it more powerful for next time!!!

- because you are expelling liposoluble toxins when you spit your oil out, you are relieving your liver of this problem, allowing it to concentrate on other things. You actually have created a small (?) second liver.

One last word of caution : it is better not spit in the sink, unless you want problems down the drain.
Lots of good wishes to all! Enjoy your oil pulling!

Asklipia
FFP

 

[Rrrr]

thanks, wayne. i've been wanting to try this for years.

 

[froufox]

Just a word of caution about oil pulling - i tried this many years ago and it did feel great at first but after about a week or 2, I became extremely depleted....felt much weaker, was a lot paler, and had very dehydrated skin etc...so it seemed like it was also pulling out essential minerals, electrolytes etc. I felt so bad it put me off from attempting it again, and it wasnt a quick fix to get back to my baseline. I do think its a good thing to try but make sure that you replete any potentially lost nutrients as I found it to be a very powerful treatment.

 

[Asklipia]

Yes froufox, one has to be careful to eat properly when doing this.
On the other hand, it does bring some fat soluble vitamins which are in the oil you use.

 

[froufox]

Hi Asklipia, I was eating pretty well at that time, no/low sugar, lots of vegs, juiced regularly etc. however my sodium & potassium were low on my hair tests and i had poor adrenal function and was generally very sick with ME anyway. So no doubt they would have been important factors in my case.

I used sesame oil and i know its a great oil with lots of nutrients but ultimately the pulling took a lot more away than it gave me. Thats just my experience, others might not find that a problem.

 

[Asklipia]

Sorry about that froufox! :-(

 

[Wayne]

Just a word of caution about oil pulling - i tried this many years ago and it did feel great at first but after about a week or 2, I became extremely depleted....felt much weaker, was a lot paler, and had very dehydrated skin etc...so it seemed like it was also pulling out essential minerals, electrolytes etc. I felt so bad it put me off from attempting it again, and it wasnt a quick fix to get back to my baseline. I do think its a good thing to try but make sure that you replete any potentially lost nutrients as I found it to be a very powerful treatment.

Hi Froufox,

Thanks much for sharing a cautionary note. Sorry to hear that oil pulling set you back in such a significant way. Your experience has me considering whether I should take a break for a while and see what kinds of shifts I might experience in the following days, if any.

I was wondering if you considered whether some of what you experienced could possibly have been due to using an oil your body may not have been compatible with. Or to some kind of detoxification going on, perhaps at a too rapid rate. I might just try to do a search and see if I can find other stories of people having your kind of experience. As with anything pwCFS try, even the most seemingly benign therapy can cause major problems. Which behooves us to always be careful and pay attention to how it's affecting us. -- Thanks again for sharing.

Wayne

 

[Ian]

So what's the science behind it?

 

[Bob]

So what's the science behind it.

The mechanical action alone can help to clear out interdental debris.
Is that enough information for you?

 

[Little Bluestem]

I remember reading, and saving, information about oil pulling in the past. I cannot find it on my computer now, so it must have been on the computer that died.

I do remember that there was some counter-indication that prevented me from doing it. That may have been my poor adrenal function, but I am not sure.

 

[SickOfSickness]

I read that sunflower and sesame oils are the best two.

 

[froufox]

Sorry im a bit behind with catching up with this thread, thanks Asklipia, and also Wayne for your post Yes I agree with you Wayne that we have to be very careful...i dont think that one treatment will work the same for everyone as some of us are a lot sicker than others and we just have to listen to our own bodies. I just wanted to share my experience in case it was useful for anyone else.

My feeling is that it wasn't a problem with the sesame oil because it did very much feel like it was doing something positive at first, which presumably wouldnt have happened if my body didnt like the oil ...eg I was more energised, had brighter eyes etc, but then i just felt like i was getting more and more depleted ... so my sense was that it was using up too much of my reserves...maybe that was caused by too many toxins being mobilised and my body didnt have enough reserves/nutrients/energy to deal with that, and/or it was just pulling out essential nutrients aswell. I dont know but all i know is that i didnt feel good at all, and i was just deteriorating.

I hope that you don't have a problem with it like I did and really hope that you get some good benefits from it! Best wishes

 

[GcMAF Australia]

I have been trialling similar with a bit of oil
But i will now try a larger amount of oil