I Tried Coconut Oil Pulling for 30-Days
Bad breath begone! Oil pulling is here to save the day (my day that is! Or so I hope).
If you haven’t already guessed, I have bad breath— the kind that smells like a dead fish in my mouth. It’s embarrassing, to say the least.
I’ve tried everything. Brush constantly. Tongue scrape. Floss once a day. Mouthwash. Fruits and veggies. Water. These habits are part of my daily routine. And have been for years.
Yet, I still battle bad breath.
My breath is fine as I step out the door, but after my 45-minute drive to the office— KABOOM! It’s like stink bomb exploded in my mouth.
I feel that familiar dry taste and layer on my tongue. I even started drinking water on my ride hoping it’d helped. Not quite. I still ended up with a dry taste in my mouth.
I’ve spent a lot of time with “Doctor” Google. Looking up lifestyle changes I can make to help me with this problem.
I kept stumbling on searches on how people tried oil pulling. Of cos, coconut oil pulling is supposed to have tons of benefits. But can it really swish away bad breath? My aunt vows by it. My good friend also recommends it.
What is Oil Pulling?
Oil Pulling is swishing a tablespoon oil in your mouth between your teeth, for about five to 20 minutes, before spitting it out. Doesn’t it sound icky? So, why even do it?
Also, known as Kavala Graha or Gandusha, oil pulling is an Ayurvedic practice that dates back as 3000 years! This holistic medicinal approach is believed to cure about 30 health troubles. This includes: headaches, migraines diabetes, asthma and yup you guessed it, oral health!
But, how you ask? Good question.
When you sleep, your mouth becomes a breathing ground for bacteria and other toxins (my dental hygienist says the same thing happens when you keep your mouth closed too long. Picture dark wet cave filled with bacteria).
As you gargle first thing in the morning (even before you brush), the mixture acts like soap that swishes through your teeth, the walls of your mouth and even under your tongue.
Jessica T. Emery, DMD, and owner of Sugar Fix Dental Loft explains it nicely in a WebMD article — "Most microorganisms inhabiting the mouth consist of a single cell. Cells are covered with a lipid, or fatty, membrane, which is the cell's skin. When these cells come into contact with oil, a fat, they naturally adhere to each other."
In a nutshell, as you continuously swish, the toxins in your mouth get trapped in the oil, which all comes out when you spit.
Reaching my stinking peak, I figured why not give it a try. As skeptical as I felt and the idea of swishing grease in my mouth irked me, what’s the worst that could happen? My goal was to keep an open mind.
I chose this coconut oil and for now, I find it works well for my needs. To learn more about other types of coconut oil, check out this article.
The Rad-Test
My experiment involved 10 minutes of oil pulling first thing, every morning for an entire month. I didn’t want to do it for a week as I felt I should give it sufficient time before deciding if coconut oil pulling was a yay or nay.
Day 1 was the toughest. Rolling out of bed (yup, I’m still in my PJs), groggily grabbing the coconut oil jar and scooping a full tablespoon of coconut oil.
And here goes. Ok, not so bad. No taste. That’s a start. As I swished the slippery, slimy grease, left and right, I smiled thinking— “OK I got this.”
Five minutes in and five more to go.It was just about that time; I felt a tickle creep up my throat. A sudden need to cough.
It took a lot to fight to keep at it. “Just 5 minutes left Rad; you can do this. Do NOT cough.” And so I pushed on.
Finally after what felt like the longest 10 minutes of my life. It was time to spit it out.
I grabbed a recycled plastic bottle and spat out the mix. To my surprise, the mixture was a thick milky substance. Not being able to help myself, I smelled it. And boy I can tell you, from the stench I am convinced that the toxins were certainly out of my mouth! I didn’t even think twice I immediately rinsed my mouth with warm water and brushed like crazy.
By the first week, my routine was sinking in. I got used to waking up, going straight to the kitchen first thing swish oil. I even went about my morning tasks— making the bed, boiling water, packing lunch and even showering, all while swishing a mouth full of coconut oil.
The Observation
The golden question: Does it work? In short yes.
Within a week consistently oil pulling, and keeping everything else the same, I felt my saliva glands woke up. My mouth feels moist. No longer do I have that dry taste in my mouth nor does my breath reek.
Being the skeptic, I am, I wondered it was just in my mind. Was it simply a placebo effect? But sticking it out for a month, I realize a difference. I truly do.
My husband even asked me if I had whitened my teeth as it wasn’t as coffee stained as usual. So maybe it does indeed whiten teeth. Though my teeth color doesn’t get too me, whitening doesn’t hurt. I’m just glad that it helped my breath!
I met my dental hygienist last week for my six-month check-up. Before leaving each visit, I always ask if there’s anything I can do better. Usually, I’m met with a “you can brush the back better.” Not this time. She said, “Just do what you’ve been doing.”
Not sure if oil pulling has anything to do with it. But I’ll take it! So my verdict: a big YAY! I’m not sure about the gazillion other benefits, but it definitely passed the Rad Test!
My next aspiration is to go the full 20 minutes. Haven’t gotten to that just yet.
Your turn: What’ your story? Have you tried oil pulling? How’d it go? Thinking about it, what’s holding you back? Hashtag #SaltPepperandEverythingBetween when you share on your social networks!
Comments