Coconut Oil Pulling

This is another topic that we can credit to my holistic guru.

For some reason, I kept seeing posts about coconut oil pulling on my Pinterest feed.  It looked interesting but also disgusting.  I couldn’t imagine putting a spoonful of oil in my mouth.  Period.  But when I talked about it with my guru friend, she convinced me that it would not be too horrible to just try it and easy enough to get out of it if I was totally grossed out.  So, I decided to give it a shot.

Full disclosure: this information is all my own personal experience OR things I learned from reading various random Pinterest posts.  This is not scientifically proven or professional advice.

First, I guess that you could use different kinds of oils.  I know someone who does this using sesame oil.  I tried and really like using coconut oil because that was what was big on Pinterest and also because I generally find anything coconut wonderful.  It makes it interesting because the consistency will change depending on the time of the year.  For me, I like putting a spoonful of solid coconut oil in my mouth and sort of chewing it until it melts.

So, what you do is you put a spoonful (it doesn’t have to be a very full spoonful) of oil in your mouth.  Then swish it around for 5-20 minutes.

According to Pinterest this is detoxifying because the blood vessels in your gums are very close to the surface.  Allegedly the oil will pull toxins from your bloodstream.  Also, according to Pinterest, it takes 15 minutes for your blood to circulate through your whole body, so if you do it for at least that long, you will have cleansed your whole blood stream.

I will do my coconut oil pulling first thing in the morning before I go to the gym.  I shove a spoonful of oil in my mouth and then go about my business getting ready for the gym.  I will usually keep it in my mouth for 15-20 minutes before spitting it in the trash, brushing my teeth and heading out the door to the gym.

Public service announcement: do not spit coconut oil down the drain.

Here is what I feel are noticeable results for me from coconut oil pulling:

1. My dental cleanings are easier.  My teeth are cleaner, and the hygienist doesn’t have to go to town as hard on my gums.
2. I feel like it helps clear my sinuses.
3. I think that it makes the skin under my eyes and across my cheeks smoother and clearer.  I know, weird, but I swear, if you do it for 5 days in a row for 20 minutes, you will notice a difference.

I also think that having the oil in your mouth and swishing around is probably good for your face because you are working your face muscles.  I haven’t spent any time seriously trying to measure this, but it makes sense, right?

Have you tried this before?  What was your experience like?  Are you thinking about trying it now?