Anushka Sharma swears by the ancient Ayurveda practice of oil pulling. Here’s why you should too

Coconut oil has made its way into the beauty routines of several celebrities, be it in Bollywood or Hollywood. They just can’t stop raving about its benefits—after all, you can use it to moisturise dry skin, tame frizzy hair, or smoothen flaky lips. But did you know this miracle oil can also be used for oil pulling? Yes, we learnt this from B-town beauty, Anushka Sharma. 

In an Instagram post, Sharma posted a picture of herself oil pulling, and asked her fans to follow this practice for its various benefits! “This action is excellent for dental hygiene & health and also draws out toxins in the body. As we are all using this time to take better care of our health and improve our immunity I thought of sharing this,” said her post.

What is oil pulling?
This age-old Ayurvedic technique involves swishing oil in your mouth to remove bacteria and promote dental hygiene. It’s super simple—all you need to do is swish coconut oil in your mouth for about 20 minutes, and then spit it out. According to a study by PubMed, there are over 700 types of bacteria that can live in your mouth, and at least 350 are active at any given point!

The oil removes fat-soluble toxins from the body and destroys bacteria. What’s more, it also helps to strengthen gums, removes plaque, and lowers the formation of cavities. 

Another Bollywood actress who is a strong proponent of oil pulling, is none other than Shilpa Shetty Kundra. In an interview with Vogue, she shared: “I do oil pulling for 7-10 minutes using cold-pressed coconut oil.”

Experts suggest it is best to do oil pulling first thing in the morning, even before drinking a glass of water. 

What are the benefits of oil pulling?

1. Improves oral hygiene
While oil pulling is not an alternative to brushing or flossing, it is a great way to enhance your dental hygiene. As per a study by Faizal Peedikayil, Prathima Sreenivasan and Arun Narayanan, titled ‘Effect of coconut oil in plaque related gingivitis’, oil pulling using coconut oil led to a significant decrease in plaque, after practicing this ritual for a week.

However, coconut oil can not whiten teeth or even solve other tooth-related issues.

2. Benefits digestion and gut health
Health experts say that the build-up of bacteria and germs in your mouth can trigger inflammation in the body, and that’s not a good sign at all. With oil pulling, you can keep infections at bay from the very start!

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“The healthy fats in the oil leads to less production of the acid in the stomach, which helps to improve your digestion and maintain better gut health,” says Tanya Mehrotra, an NCR-based wellness consultant.

3. Helps to reduce migraines
Coconut oil is known to reduce inflammation, and that’s exactly why it is great for cardiac health and brain function. Oil pulling creates warmth inside your mouth, which can help to tackle sinuses, and that means fewer headaches!

This is confirmed by a study titled ‘Oil pulling and importance of traditional medicine in oral health maintenance’, which says that oil swishing is believed to cure or control 30 different types of systemic diseases, including headaches, migraine, and chronic diseases such as asthma and diabetes mellitus.

So ladies, oil pulling every day keeps several problems at bay! Do try and tell us how helpful you find it in the comments. We are waiting!