Recently the media spotlight focused on the trending practice of oil pulling. Several Hollywood stars swear by it so everyone got excited.
It’s always good to see a time-tested (in this case ancient) technique given some press. Some things just continue to prove their benefit despite how long they’ve been in use.
One aspect of oil pulling I see mentioned rarely in the articles is the value of this technique for detoxification. Too bad since it can be very effective for helping the detox process. When you hold a couple tablespoons of oil in your mouth for some minutes, a transfer of toxins occurs from your blood and tissues into the oil.
This transfer of toxins occurs because of some simple laws of physics. If there is any concentration of a toxin in your blood or tissue, and no concentration in the oil you use, then a pressure occurs (called a diffusion gradient) that moves the toxin from the area of higher concentration to the area of lower concentration. These oil-soluable toxins move easily across your tissue membrane.
The toxins that move to the oil are fat-soluble, which includes many of the agricultural chemicals, solvents and industrial by-products like PCB’s, dioxins and plastic residues that pollute us all these days. The mouth serves as a great location for this transfer to take place thanks to an easy access to mucosal membranes and normally strong blood flow.
One thing is key however: It is SO important to use organic oil to insure that the oil is not already full of toxins.
How long should you hold the oil? When the oil is saturated with toxins, it will suddenly develop a bad taste. This make take as few as 10 minutes or as long as 20. I don’t know why, but in most of the people I’ve asked to do this, it takes closer to 20 minutes to finish the procedure. So be patient.
Does the type of oil matter? Not really. You can use organic olive, coconut, sesame, rice bran, shea or other oils (see list below) of your preference. Just make sure it’s organic.
Basic Instructions:
1) Purchase an organic, healthy oil (olive oil, coconut, rice bran, shea, almond oil, unroasted sesame oil, walnut oil, grape seed oil, macadamia nut oil or sunflower seed oil).
2) Upon rising, put 1-2 tablespoons of the healthy oil in your mouth and swish for about 10-20 minutes. The swishing can be relaxed – you’re not trying to churn butter after all. Then spit the oil out in the trash or in the garbage disposal. Fat soluble toxins will exit from the oral mucosa and enter the oil. Usually when the oil starts to taste bad is a clue to spit out the oil.
3) As a alternative – this oil “swish and spit” protocol works very well during the last few minutes of a sauna therapy or during the end of an exercise routine that heats up the body. (Don’t try this with exercise if your nose is stopped up).
This should get you on your way to detoxing those unwanted nasties from your system. Give it a try and let us know what you found. Remember patience is crucial in this. So plan it during a workout (as mentioned) or even during your favorite sit-com.
See our post on Laser Energetic Detox to learn about a really powerful detox technique!
Being creative with how you implement these helpful techniques helps them to become part of your daily routine.
Offer a comment below and cheers to your health!!
