Oil Pulling??? Side effects???

[andee]

Hi All,

I've been researching oil pulling and it seems to have sooo many benefits and has been around for thousands of years. Basically, for those who haven't heard of it, you take a spoonful of sunflower, coconut, olive, some pure oil, and you swish it around in your mouth for 5 to 15 minutes and spit it out. It is supposed to remove toxins from your mouth, body, help with breath, teeth whitening, rashes, sinus issues, a TON of great things.

Anyway, I've read about people trying it and some have felt nauseous or gotten sick from it. I guess it's like a detoxifying effect for some. Soooo, now I am afraid to try it. I really want to but how will I know if I will have a "bad" reaction??? Anyone??? Please chime in!!!

[AoD]

Personal opinion: it doesn't do anything... there's no science to back the claims and there aren't toxins to "pull" out of the mouth or body. That's just alternative medicine propaganda. Your liver and kidneys already remove any toxins that might be in your blood perfectly well, if you want to help that process eat well and drink water, oil pulling won't help, it's a snake oil treatment. That being said, it's pretty harmless. But yes, swishing something oily stuff around your mouth for minutes at a time can make you nauseous, especially if you do it first thing in the morning before eating and you happen to swallow a bit of that mess of saliva + oil, it's gross. Some people have a pretty bad gag reflex, and just having a large amount of liquid (you will salivate more while you have it in your mouth) can make them ill. There's no way to know how you can handle it unless you try it. If you are still bent on trying it, start with smaller amounts that you swish around your mouth for shorter amounts of time and slowly increase as long as you feel comfortable.

[mdgirl1977]

I think it sounds idiotic. people love this stuff - pulling, cleanses, fad diets. the idea if swirling oil for 20 minutes makes me gag. nope.

[NicManri]

I wanted to try it too but was also put off by people saying they had been sick from it.

[rebecca1976]

I can't see how swilling oil around your mouth has any health benefits at all, the thought of it makes me nauseous!

[andee]

Well, I am learning more and more about "natural" and homeopathic remedies and they are all very interesting...some may sound kind of weird, but if they work, that's great!! I try not to dismiss anything too fast...anyone else have info???

[Mamafear]

I heard of this and researched it with much the same results as 'The Grape Juice Theory', no scientific proof but lots of positive stories. I don't think I could do it though!

[rebecca1976]

Some alternative remedies are pretty strange, I have a strong belief that manuka honey cures all ails. When I had a chest infection with a very bad cough I googled cough remedies and a woman said to spread a thin layer of vicks vapour rub on the soles of your feet and wear warm socks, it worked, I have no idea how but it did, I had my first cough free nights sleep in about a week.

[AoD]

Well, I am learning more and more about "natural" and homeopathic remedies and they are all very interesting...some may sound kind of weird, but if they work, that's great!! I try not to dismiss anything too fast...anyone else have info???

Natural remedies can be good, some are effective (not all, by any stretch). Homepathy is just placebo effect, and that has been proven over and over through clinical trials. If all that is needed is placebo effect, then, great. It can be good for those who have very minor issues that would pass anyway in due time (like a cold or mild insomnia)...it is dangerous when it replaces proper treatment for serious issues, though. The site I usually check when trying to validate claims of natural health products (herbal supplements) is passeportsante.net but it is a french site. I think https://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com/ is the english equivalent. It searches through clinical trials about supplements and the findings, so you can have a better idea of what is just old wives' tales and what actually has some effect on health. One HUGE warning about this english site though, they take all clinical trials, no matter if the experiment protocol is flawed. So the data most probably is biased to make natural health products seem better than they are. If you have a background in science and are familiar with critical analysis of scientific papers, go on google scholar and look up articles on the supplement that interests you. Once again, not all sources are reliable, even in papers. You have to be able to evaluate the validity of the experiment.

Thing is, it is very easy to get lost in the claims of "ancestral" or "natural" practices if you don't have a very solid understanding of the human body and its biochemistry. I suggest that before you embark on a journey of learning about alternative medicine, that you pick up a book on human anatomy and biochemistry (as in, university textbook grade). It will help you understand if the claims have any logical sense considering how the body works.

[NicManri]

Some alternative remedies are pretty strange, I have a strong belief that manuka honey cures all ails. When I had a chest infection with a very bad cough I googled cough remedies and a woman said to spread a thin layer of vicks vapour rub on the soles of your feet and wear warm socks, it worked, I have no idea how but it did, I had my first cough free nights sleep in about a week.

The only thing that works for my allergies are sinus rinse and acupuncture. No allergy medication or anything the dr have given me have helped.

[MaybeBaby]

The idea of swishing oil in my mouth for 20, even the idea makes me nauseated. I have a friend who swears by it... but she's that kind of person. She tries all those fad remedies and diets.