Over recent years the importance of oral health and its connection to systemic health has become pretty clear.
What happens in your mouth happens everywhere!
We now know that our mouth has it's own microbiome - just like our gut, and that our oral microbiome affect our gut. it is the starting point of our gastro-intestinal tract after all!
What studies are also showing is that bacteria from our mouth are able to travel into the brain via nerves like our trigeminal nerve (a cranial nerve that hangs around our face, head, sinuses, and our teeth) contributing to neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.
Gum diseases will also allow these bacteria entry into our blood stream, adding to systemic inflammation and once again the brain. (Root canal treatments are under major scrutiny for creating some of this inflammatory load!)
What is Oil Pulling?
Oil Pulling dates back about 5000 years and I can tell you - it's like magic!
In simple terms - you put some oil in your mouth, swirl it around, then spit it out!
The most popular oils used are coconut oil or olive oil. Personally I prefer the taste of coconut oil which is generally solid at room temperature.
How do you do it?
One table spoon of coconut oil in the mouth which will become liquid after about 10-20 seconds. Swirl it around for at least 5 minutes - the idea is to work it up to about 20 minutes! Make sure the coconut oil is spat out into a bin afterwards, not the sink!! It will block the sink when cooling down and solidifying again!
Do it first thing in the morning before eating or drinking anything, and it can be done a few times per week. You can brush your teeth after.
The benefits?
Both coconut oil and olive are full of anti-oxidants.
Coconut oil also contains lauric acid which is not only anti-fungal and anti-bacterial, but also have the ability to inhibit viral activity. (The product Lauricidin is great for getting lauric acid into your system, unless of course you're allergic to coconut!)
You're looking for unrefined, cold pressed, organic coconut oil. It will be solid at room temperature but will liquify after about 10-20 secs in your mouth.
Fractionated coconut oil is liquid and OK to use but extremely reduced levels of lauric acid which is what we're after as its anti-fungal/viral/bacterial.
Coconut oil may also reduce plaque build up and promote teeth whitening, as many of my clients can confirm.
So....Oil pulling will help getting rid of bad oral bacteria, promoting the good ones!
A side-note on toothpaste: I generally recommend using natural toothpastes like Zendium or Gutology. They are a bit more expensive but they don't contain any harmful chemicals that will strip away the good bacteria. Less good bacteria = less protection. Commercial
mouthwash poses the same problem.
None of this content should be taken as medical advice. Consult your dentist or doctor if you are unsure.
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