BENEFITS

Studies suggest that oil pulling can kill bacteria in the mouth and improve dental health. Dr Mickey Mehta lists out a few benefits:

● Oil pulling takes care of not only your dental cavity and dental health but also of neural firing, building synaptic connections and building immunology because the signalling from the palate, from the tongue, which is extremely sensitive, they go throughout the body and begin the endocrine functions and help regulate them.

● Also, oil pulling helps in the secretion of digestive juices, making you very alert mentally.

● The other benefits are of the nervous system; the central nervous system, voluntary and non- voluntary nervous system, etc. So oil- pulling gets you energised, regularised and revitalised

SIMPLE STEPS FOR OIL PULLING, AS POINTED OUT BY DR SAMEER:

● Take one tablespoon of oil can be coconut, sesame or olive oil.

● Swish it around in mouth for 15– 20 minutes.

● Do not to swallow it.

● Spit the oil and rinse mouth well using water before eating or drinking anything.

● Common oils used are sunflower, coconut and sesame seed oil.

● Sometimes it is cold press groundnut oil, cold press coconut oil, cold press almond oil, cow’s ghee, sesame oil. It can be changed week after week.

Approximately 700 types of bacteria live in the mouth, and up to 350 of them may be found in mouth at any given time. They can contribute to problems such as tooth decay, bad breath and gum diseases. Several studies have shown that oil pulling could help reduce harmful bacteria — DR. SAMEER AZAD MAHENDRA, dentist