Wellness Break: Oil Pulling/Hemp Oil Benefits

About a year or so ago, I set out on an attempt to begin oil pulling with coconut oil. That attempt did not last long at all. So I revisited it starting in November, but using hemp oil.

What is oil pulling, you might be asking yourself. Oil pulling is a method of oral cleansing, which originated from Ayurvedic medicine. I've discussed Ayurvedic medicine in a post a long while ago, but it's worth looking into. In a nutshell, oil pulling is swishing around a plant-based oil in your mouth/through your teeth for at least 10-20 minutes.

There are several noted benefits, though none are fully medically supported. Here's a list of just some of the benefits of oil pulling:
  • Oral health: combats bad breath, tooth decay, cavities and gum health
  • Skin: clears facial acne
  • Physical health: arthritis, migraines, diabetes, detoxification and asthma
Again, oil pulling is used mostly as a form of naturopathic medicine.

What's the best process for oil pulling? Here are some simple steps based upon my research and application: 
  1. Firstly, Oil pull first thing in the morning for 10-20 minutes, before you've even brushed your teeth. A major reason why I stopped doing this practice a year ago is because it took up too much time in the morning. So to avoid this excuse, I decided to do my oil pulling while I shower. So far so good! Be sure to spit out the oil in the toilet. Please note that the oil starts off pretty thick, but becomes more fluid after a few minutes.
  2. Secondly, gargle with a mouthwash to loosen up the oil.
  3. Thirdly, brush your teeth like normal.
Now onto my wonderful hemp oil! I chose hemp oil because, if you can't tell, I am obsessed with anything hemp! I've blogged about hemp in a few posts, please check them out here, here and here.

There are other well-noted oil options to pull from (no pun intended). Some of those options are: olive oil, coconut oil and sesame oil.

I really enjoy my daily attention to my oral health. So far, I have definitely noticed fresh breath and the color of my teeth have become even. I cannot note any other benefits as of yet, but I'll be sure to post an update after 3 or 6 months.