Oil pulling

Oil pulling or oil swishing, in alternative medicine, is a procedure that involves swishing oil in the mouth for oral and systemic health benefits. It is mentioned in the Ayurvedic text Charaka Samhita where it is called Kavala Gandoosha / Kavala Graha and is claimed to cure about 30 systemic diseases ranging from headache, migraine to diabetes and asthma.

Procedure
The practitioner rinses their mouth with approximately one tablespoon of oil (sesame and sunflower oils are the most recommended) for 15−20 minutes on an empty stomach (preferably first thing in the morning, before eating/drinking), then spits it out. This procedure is typically performed daily. The oil is put in the mouth, with chin tilted up, and slowly swished, sucked, chomped and pulled through the teeth. The oil changes from yellow and oily consistency to a thin, white foam before spitting out. The mouth is rinsed out well after the procedure and followed by 2 - 3 glasses of water.

Precautions
1. Oil should not be swallowed or gargled.

2. Oil pulling should be attempted only on empty stomach to avoid vomiting.

Benefits
Proponents assert that the procedure reduces plaque and gingivitis, which they claim leads to whitening of teeth and fastening of loose teeth.

How it works
Oil Pulling claims a lot of benefits. Some of the theories on how it works are :

1. The tongue is an indicator of what is going on in the body. By examining the tongue and its color, it is possible to pass a judgment on the condition of the patient and the nature of the ailment. Just as the skin is known as a very good organ for excreting waste and toxins, it is claimed that the tongue also is a key organ in eliminating toxins and harmful microbes from the body. According to this life science, the tongue is mapped by organ-locations — that is, each section of the tongue is connected to the kidneys, lungs, spleen, liver, heart, pancreas, small intestines, stomach, colon, and spine. Oil swishing eliminates toxins from the whole body through the tongue.

2. Sublingual absorption through the tongue is more efficient and faster in some cases. Some hormone replacement therapy products and vitamin supplement products take advantage of this method. Trace amounts of vitamins, minerals, hormones and other chemicals in the oil might be absorbed into the body, and circulated to various body parts, through the tongue. Phyto-chemicals in oil and oil seeds have been shown to reduce cholesterol, fight cancer, treat hormone related imbalance like acne and improve the mood. The List of phytochemicals and foods in which they are prominent include Phytoestrogens and Phytosterol in soybean, sesame oil, sunflower seeds.