Morning oil pulling promises a gentle detox and healthy teeth. On top of that, the method should give us fresh breath, pure skin, and a fitter immune system. Sounds good! We have the facts about the beauty hype.

With oil pulling you can easily do something good for your body.

What is oil pulling?

The hype is actually not that new. In fact, “Oil Pulling” is a tried and tested natural healing method that has been used in India for centuries. In practice, oil is washed in the mouth to remove bacteria and promote oral hygiene. At the beginning of the 90s, the doctor Fedor Karach presented oil pulling as a miracle weapon against a multitude of diseases and also triggered the trend in this country.

In the teaching of Indian Ayurveda, it is assumed that the tongue is connected to various organs such as the heart, kidneys, lungs, and intestines. Following the theory, the flushing method is supposed to activate our salivary enzymes. The stimulated flow of saliva absorbs bacterial toxins and environmental toxins from the blood. These are removed from the body via the tongue. For this reason, “oil pulling” detoxifies and cleanses the whole body, which numerous studies are supposed to prove.

How does oil pulling work?

Oil pulling takes about 20 minutes and should ideally be done on an empty stomach before brushing your teeth. The reason is this: while we sleep our body detoxifies and leaves these toxins in the mouth. The oil can then bind these directly in the mouth and remove them from the body.

It’s best to use cold-pressed organic oils like coconut oil, sesame oil, or sunflower oil. We recommend coconut oil here because it has a pleasant aftertaste. Put a tablespoon of oil in your mouth and wash the oil around. Keep moving and pull it through the spaces between your teeth.

The whole procedure should take 20 minutes at best (5-10 minutes is also ok). In the end, the liquid should have a milky and thinly flowing consistency. Finally, spit the oil into a tissue and dispose of it in the trash. This could cause a blockage in the sink. Now rinse your mouth and brush your teeth.