Does Oil Pulling Work?

It’s been over 6 weeks since I started my oil-pulling experiment. If you haven’t been reading along, I’ll give you some background.

I started oil-pulling just to see what would happen. I’ve heard wonderful things about the practice of oil-pulling and wanted to experience some of those great health effects myself. I’ve read that oil-pulling can improve oral health, skin health, energy levels and even cure chronic disease. I don’t have any chronic health issues, except stress and gluten induced IBS, so I didn’t need oil-pulling to work miracles.

When I began oil-pulling, the mouth feel took some getting used to. Once I overcame the oddness of swishing oil in my mouth for an extended amount of time, oil-pulling became an easy part of my morning routine. I oil-pulled daily at first (missing 1-2 days per week most weeks) and have now settled into an every-other-day routine that seems to work well for me. I swish about a tablespoon of coconut oil for 10-15 minutes, usually while in the shower.

(I did experience some detox symptoms the first couple of weeks of oil-pulling. After week three, however, I felt much better.)

What Oil-Pulling Has Done For Me

Cleaner mouth
Healthier-looking gums
Fresh-from-the-dentist mouth feel and taste after oil-pulling

What Oil-Pulling May Have Done For Me

Prevented break-outs (I don’t break out often, but I haven’t had any acne since beginning my oil-pulling 6 weeks ago.)

What Oil-Pulling Did NOT do For Me

Anything miraculous or earth-shattering.
IBS symptoms from stress were not lessened.
No extra energy.

So, there you have it! I have to say my experience with oil-pulling has been a positive one. I will definitely continue to oil-pull because I love the way my mouth looks and feels afterward. I think it is a healthy practice, but I’m not convinced that it is a the cure-all for me that others have found it to be.