Oh my! Yet another sure-fire detox! This time it's "oil pulling." I'm not pulling your leg with this one. The claim is that you swish oil, usually sunflower, sesame or coconut, around your mouth for 15-20 minutes without swallowing. Why would you want to do that given that it is likely to be a rather unpleasant experience? Because it improves oral health and to boot, the oil sucks toxins out of your body via the salivary glands.! And of course this then cures every condition you have ever heard of.
The "pulling" apparently refers to what the oil does to the "toxins." What evidence is there that this works? The usual. We are told it was first used in ancient India. From this we are to take away that those ancient Indians knew more about treating disease than we know today. Imagine, all that education for naught! And of course there are testimonials galore about renewed energy and improved health after the toxins, always unidentified, were removed.
Setting aside the absurdity of oil pulling nasty compounds out of the body through the salivary glands, can swishing oil around do anything beneficial? Maybe. The oil can dissolve fat-soluble food remnants, remove some stains and maybe even dislodge cavity-causing bacteria from the teeth. It might also absorb some compounds responsible for bad breath. And the oil wont pull quite as much money out of your wallet as Kangen water, ionic footbaths or colon hydrotherapy cleansers. Don't even ask.
