My Week-Long Experience
Last week, I shared an article introducing the trendy practice of oil-pulling, which claims to detox the body, improve oral health, and even promote overall wellness. I was intrigued by the buzz surrounding it, so I decided to try it out for myself. For the past week, I’ve been oil-pulling with coconut oil for 20 minutes every night to see if it lives up to the hype. Here’s my honest take on the trend.
What Is Oil-Pulling?
For those unfamiliar, oil-pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic practice that involves swishing a tablespoon of oil (usually coconut, sesame, or sunflower oil) around in your mouth for 15-20 minutes before spitting it out. The theory is that the oil “pulls” out toxins from your body, leaving you with improved oral health, fresher breath, whiter teeth, and even better skin. Sounds promising, right?
My Oil-Pulling Experience
Night One: A Rough Start
I tried to set my skepticism aside and follow the process exactly. I scooped out a spoonful of coconut oil and put it in my mouth. At first, the thick, solid consistency was off-putting, and I had to “chew” it for a few minutes before it melted into a liquid. Once it was in liquid form, the real challenge began: swishing it around for a full 20 minutes.
Those 20 minutes felt like an eternity. To distract myself from the strange, oily texture in my mouth, I gave myself tasks like tidying up or scrolling through social media. Even then, it was hard to ignore the fact that I had this unpleasant oil swirling around in my mouth.
Mid-Week: Is This Even Worth It?
As the days went by, the process didn’t get much easier. Each time I oil-pulled, I found myself counting down the minutes until I could spit it out. I wasn’t noticing any of the supposed “detoxing” effects people rave about—no clearer skin, no drastic changes in my energy levels, and certainly no magical removal of toxins from my body. My mouth felt clean after I spit out the oil, but that’s about it.
Does Oil-Pulling Work?
The Clean Mouth Factor
I’ll admit, after each oil-pulling session, my mouth did feel clean. The oil left my mouth feeling fresh, and I noticed a slight improvement in how my teeth felt (though no noticeable whitening effect). However, I couldn’t help but think that I could have achieved the same results with a good ol’ swish of mouthwash—in a fraction of the time.
The Detoxing Myth
One of the main claims of oil-pulling is that it detoxifies your body by drawing out toxins through the mouth. Personally, I didn’t feel any different after a week of oil-pulling. There were no signs that toxins had been magically removed from my system. Scientifically speaking, the body has its own natural detox system—namely the liver and kidneys—and there’s little evidence to suggest that oil-pulling has any real impact on detoxification.
The Verdict: Should You Try Oil-Pulling?
After a week of oil-pulling, my conclusion is this: oil-pulling does help clean your mouth, but it’s not much better than traditional methods like brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash. The time commitment (20 minutes!) and the unpleasant texture of the oil make it difficult to justify incorporating this into a daily routine.
If you’re looking for something that freshens your breath and gives your mouth a clean feel, a quick rinse with mouthwash will do the trick in a fraction of the time. As for the detox claims, I remain unconvinced. There’s little evidence to back up the idea that oil-pulling has any substantial effect on your body’s detoxification process.
In short, if you’re curious, give oil-pulling a try. But if you’re like me and prefer a more efficient way to keep your mouth clean and healthy, you’re better off sticking to mouthwash and good oral hygiene habits.