Coconut oil pulling is an oral remedy where oil is held in the mouth and swished for a few minutes and then expelled. Practitioners of oil pulling claim that it is very effective in whitening teeth and improving overall oral health. Not only that, but those who practice it also claim that it effectively remedies conditions such as headaches, migraines, diabetes mellitus, asthma and acne.
Promoters of oil pulling claim it works by pulling out "toxins", which are known as "ama" in Ayurvedic medicine. As toxins are rid of from the mouth and throat area inflammation and infection are relieved or prevented.
The phrase "oil pulling" and its use was popularized in early 1990s by one of its early adopters, Tummala Koteswara Rao in Bangalore, South India. From then on, Rao actively evangelized oil pulling as an ancient Ayurvedic practice.
In one study, another fruit oil was found to be effective at reducing plaque and oral bacterial load, but it was not as effective as the chlorhexidine content in the conventional antiseptic mouthwash.
The National Center for Health Research states that "it's still unclear whether or how oil pulling actually works to get rid of bad bacteria in our mouths. It's also unknown what the long term effects on oral and overall health may be."
According to its avid practitioners, performing coconut oil pulling first thing in the morning is said to boost the immune system and not only promote one's oral health.
Aside from coconut oil pulling, coconut oil serves many helpful uses, especially when it comes to beauty. It serves as a great hair moisturizer to tame unruly, dry and damaged hair. Adding the extract from chili leaves to coconut oil is also a very effective remedy against hair thinning and dandruff. Babies can benefit from it too. Coconut oil is a safe remedy against cradle cap in newborn babies.
