Oil Pulling and Me

I thought I'd share a little about one of my recent discoveries which I'm incorporating into my daily routine.  As ever I'd read about something and my curiousity was piqued so I thought I'd give it a go.  I used coconut oil, scooped out a small quantity, let it melt in my mouth and swished it around as directed. I didn't manage anything like the suggested 15-20minutes of swishing. Maybe 2 minutes. But it was a start.  I built it up to longer durations then had a break as we went away and I forgot my oil.

Back home and I've restarted it again. And I really, really like it. My teeth feel really clean, I've not had sore gums once (which very occasionally had happened previously) and I think they're looking fairly healthy. They did get a compliment from my wonderful market veg man the other day.  I've just added turmeric into the mix which again feels like a bit of an experiment but I've seen plenty of reference to it being helpful in teeth cleaning in the raw food world, with lots of benefits. This one I'm a bit warier of - brushing my teeth with a bright yellow powder and watching the brush go a shade of ochre makes me feel less confident. But hey! What's the worst that can happen? Day-glo teeth for trick or treating? However I'm going with it, experimenting and we'll see...

So, why oil pulling? I'm not planning on a full history or comprehensive list of qualities but thought would share just a few features and benefits:

Historically it's an age old practice originating from Ayurvedic medicine but has become popular in recent times (I know it must be as it takes me ages to catch onto any 'new' trends - am always at the back of the queue there!) for oral cleansing.  There's lots of books on the practice and plenty of information on the web about it.

Studies have highlighted that coconut oil may help prevent tooth decay (reducing 'bad' bacteria in the mouth and bad breath) and others claim reduced sinus problems, stomach and digestive issues, as well as improved skin symptoms.  Some state that the oil pulling is able to detoxify the body. My thoughts? I'm open to it - I don't have an answer and according to some, what I know and love is a load of placebo peddling rubbish so who am I to judge? 

What I do know though is that my teeth feel cleaner, I'm feeling good and life being, afterall, one big experiment - why not give it a go and see what you think?