Oil Pulling? Really?...Well...Yes...And Other Things As Well...

Here in Chicago there is a lucky group of individuals that know we have the best massage in Chicago, and many of them know either by direct participation or by observation that our acupuncturists are top notch...but then there are the less mainstream things Reflexion offers that are oddly enough considered cutting edge but may have been 'hiding' in plain sight for decades or even centuries. Things like cupping and herbal medicine...If there are any doubts about the validity of this I invite you to research how many of our modern medicines originated from truly ancient practices and concoctions found in Asia and South America (check out aspirin for a good read).

This brings us to things like Oil Pulling. It's been around forever, supposedly from another ancient Indian tribal practice as part of Ayurvedic medicine...whatever the origin you won't find the folks here at Reflexion touting near the list of benefits that some say swishing with coconut or sesame oil bring. However, there are things that do in fact work to some benefit and can't be explained or marketed well by the greater medical community so they end up being the subject of a full court press to discredit...while I am all for reality, the reality is NOT whatever soundbite news brings nor is it fact because it was heavily marketed in a certain way or because the FDA or some group of stuff shirt politicos want to make their opinions fact. Perhaps having a more open mind isn't such a bad thing...who knows, it may just make you a better more healthy person. Besides...everything we read on the internet is true...right (ugh) ;-)

So back to Oil Pulling...everyone has an opinion so here are our thoughts - we have known for years that the bacteria count in a human mouth is typically several times worse than dogs (yes, really), and with all of the alcohol based rinses and other foods that dry out the mouth or get stuck between teeth it isn't surprising most wake up with yuck mouth. Coconut copra and the refined resultant oil product are high in saturated fat while sesame oil is high in nutritional content. Saturated fats have lubrication and absorption qualities and everyone knows (yes, still...really) that naturally occurring vitamin and mineral compounds are more readily absorbed in the body than refined nutritional products (similar to bioidentical versus synthetic hormone replacement...the body is predisposed to more readily utilize naturally occurring products).

Will it cause any harm to chew on coconut oil or swish sesame oil? Probably not unless you have some obscure allergy...and in fact there probably are some minor benefits in our opinion likely due to either practice working to balance pH and normalize flora. As for the teeth whitening claims...your teeth are porous...you fill in and shine them with any kind of oil (even lard) and they will likely appear whiter. Does this practice cure major diseases? The big pharma community would like you to believe nothing but pills work, and they fund billion dollar studies to kill any other ideas. Just because something doesn't overtly cure cancer

Taking that into account, if the eyes are windows to the soul, the mouth is the window to health, and the healthier the mouth (typically) the healthier the individual attached to it. Next to your skin, the mouth is one of the top ways your body takes in both good and bad. There are several scientifically proven correlations between gum disease and overall health so, perhaps having healthier gums leads to a healthier mouth which leads to a healthier you...

As with all things seek balance and it will be to your benefit. Cheers to a healthier, better informed you!