A healthy morning routine has a strong impact on your overall health. Starting your day on a healthy note gives the right start to your morning which helps you to enjoy the better day.
Your dental regimen is an important part of this morning schedule. So, a healthy practice that you could add to your morning routine is oil pulling. You might have heard about this popular practice many times. But not many are aware of the impressive health benefits it can offer both to your mouth. Read on to learn everything you need to know about oil pulling.
Oil Pulling
Oil pulling is an ancient practice that involves swishing oil in your mouth to remove bacteria and promote oral hygiene. It is often associated with Ayurveda, the traditional medicine system from India. While it’s not entirely clear how oil pulling works, it’s claimed to “pull” bacteria from the mouth. It may also help by moisturizing your gums and increasing saliva production, which can reduce bacteria
“As soon as you wake up there is a sudden urge to clean your oral cavities. You can make a change in your swish and spit routine. Replace your regular mouthwash with oil pulling,” experts recommend.
How to do oil pulling?
It is important to choose the right oil to perform oil pulling. You can use cold-pressed coconut oil, sesame oil or olive oil. “Take a capful (10 ml) of cold-pressed virgin coconut oil, sesame oil or olive oil first thing in the morning, just swish this in your mouth for about 15-20 mins. Swish and spit into your trash can because your sink can get clogged because of the oil,” says dental experts.
Repeat these steps a few times per week or up to three times daily. You may also want to work your way up, starting with swishing for just 5 minutes and increasing the duration until you’re able to do it for a full 15–20 minutes. For best results, most recommend doing this first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, although you can adapt based on your personal preferences.
Benefits of oil pulling
Oil pulling works wonder for your dental health. It helps kill the bad bacteria in the mouth. Practicing this daily can help prevent cavities and bad breath. It has the capacity to reduce inflammation and improve gum health. Another known benefit of this routine is that it helps balance your hormones and whitens your teeth.
“Now mouthwashes are great but did you know the antiseptic properties not only kill dysbiosis causing bacteria but also the good bacteria in your gut. Once the good bacteria are out, gut health suffers and the bad breath problem you are trying to solve really doesn’t go away,” experts warn.
Meanwhile, oil pulling helps takes care of your health by ‘literally swishing’ harmful bacteria from your mouth, out of the body when you spit the concoction. Oil pulling is an effective and very safe way to pull out the bad ones without harming the good ones.
