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Tag: coconut oil

  • Oil Pulling: Even Gwyneth Paltrow is Doing It

    Oil pulling is an increasingly popular method of cleaning teeth naturally.

    Actress Gwyneth Paltrow recently told E! that she’s jumped on the oil pulling bandwagon.

    “… I just started ‘oil puling,’ which is when you swish coconut oil around [in your mouth] for 20 minutes, and it’s supposed to be great for oral health and making your teeth white.”

    Blogger Trina Holden caused a stir when she admitted to readers that she hadn’t used toothpaste in over a year.

    Holden swears that after a month of oil pulling, the pain and sensitivity she’d been experiencing in her lower molars disappeared.

    And it gets better: her husband developed a nasty-looking cavity – his first, by the way – in his back wisdom tooth. Mr. Holden started oil pulling five to six times a week and a little over a month later, the infected tooth was “[w]hite. White with a bit of yellow, but the black and green and brown were all gone, and the surface of the tooth was smoothing out instead of being pitted.”

    Oil pulling devotees operate under the basic principle that, as Holden says “what we eat has so much more of an affect on our teeth than the substance we scrub them with.”

    Oil pulling acts to pull the toxins out of the teeth, basically absorbing them into the coconut oil, which practitioners spit out after swishing in their mouths for 20 minutes.

    “Oil is antimicrobial and gets into the tissues of the mouth to inhibit bacterial growth,” says Todd Caldecott, Ayurvedic practitioner and Executive Director of the Dogwood School of Botanical Medicine.

    Oil pulling has its roots in Ayurveda, an alternative system of medicine native to India that’s been around for over 3,000 years.

    “It’s used to prevent tooth decay, to prevent mouth odor, bleeding gums, dryness or hoarseness of the throat, while strengthening the teeth and gums,” says Dr. Scott Gerson, an Ayurvedic physician based in Brewster, NY.

    According to Gerson and other Ayurvedic experts, for best results oil pulling should be performed consistently every morning.

    Most practitioners use coconut oil but sesame oil is also an option. Both oils contain essential fatty acids, which act as a solvent for most of the body’s toxins.

    Dr. Sheila Patel, Medical Director of The Chopra Center, says that oil pulling “should be part of a healthy holistic daily routine that includes brushing your teeth and cleaning your tongue.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Oil Pulling Is Good For Your Teeth And Gums

    Oil pulling is the process of rinsing the mouth with coconut oil or sesame oil. The practice dates back to ancient times and is said to remove toxins from the mouth, whiten teeth and help with congestion. It has recently become popular again with many celebrities and many other people who are health conscience are trying it as well.

    “It is an age old method of oral cleaning and is one of the most powerful, effective methods of detoxification and healing in natural medicine. The process ‘pulls’ bad bacteria and their toxins out from nooks and crannies in the mouth,” explains cosmetic dentist Dr. Jessica Emery, owner of Sugar Fix Dental Loft in Chicago.

    The process of oil pulling is simple and can be safely added to your daily dental hygiene routine. Dentists recommend rinsing with salt water and then brushing teeth thoroughly before rinsing with the oil. Use a teaspoon of coconut oil or sesame oil and rinse it in your mouth for anywhere from 2 to 20 minutes.

    When you have finished rinsing with the oil, make sure you spit it out and do not swallow it. The oil will be pulling the bacteria and toxins from your teeth and gums so if you swallow the oil, you will just be putting those toxins back in your body.

    Dentists who believe in oil pulling say that the bacteria and toxins that start in the mouth are spread through the body and cause a variety of health problems and illnesses. By removing these toxins and bacteria, the body will be able to heal itself and a person may find that they feel better in general, are sick less often and have more energy.

    The taste of coconut oil is not unpleasant and many people see an improvement in the way their teeth and mouth feel and their overall health after just a few weeks of practicing oil pulling.

    Have you or would you try oil pulling?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Coconut Oil: Why Are Prices Rising?

    Coconut oil is used for a variety of things including cooking and hygiene. Many people have discovered that coconut oil can be used to condition hair, treat acne, moisturize skin, and even replace tooth paste.

    The sudden popularity of coconut oil has caused the U.S. to use more coconuts than ever and most of the time, coconut exporters have no problem meeting the demands for them.

    Typhoon Haiyan has changed all that and after it hit the Philippines, it destroyed many of the country’s coconut trees. Over 40% of the coconuts imported to the U.S. come from the Philippines.

    The country was hit in 2013 by Typhoon Haiyan. The typhoon destroyed 10% of the country’s coconut trees, causing coconut exports to fall to 143,870 tons in January and February of this year.

    The fewer coconuts that are available to send to the U.S, the higher the prices of coconut oil will rise. Coconut prices have already skyrocketed since the typhoon and growers are saying it could take a while for the industry to recover and for prices to come down.

    “It will take several years for the supply to normalize (even) if we replant what has been lost during the typhoon,” the United Coconut Association of the Philippines executive director, Yvonne Agustin, said.

    “We are of course projecting a reduction in volume this year, and that would lead to increased prices in the world market.”

    Coconuts are currently trading at $1,445 a ton. Last year, the trading price was $810 a ton. Since so many products including soaps and household cleaners require coconut oil as a main ingredient, it is likely the prices of these items will rise as well.

    Are you worried that the price of coconuts and coconut oil will continue to skyrocket?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Coconut Oil: Surprising Health Benefits

    Coconut oil was once thought to be unhealthy because of its high saturated fat content, which is proven to contribute to heart disease, however, this is not true. Coconut oil is really a heart-healthy food that can enhance your health in many ways.

    Coconut oil is beneficial for the heart. It contains about 50% lauric acid, which helps in actively preventing various heart problems which are created through high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure. It does not lead to an increase in LDL levels; it reduces the incidence of injury and damage to arteries and therefore helps in preventing atherosclerosis.

    Coconut oil is used extensively in tropical countries especially India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and the Philippines, which have a good production of coconut oil. This oil was also popular in western countries like the United States and Canada at one time, but a propaganda campaign initiated by the corn oil and soy oil industry placed doubt onto those who used and loved this natural product.

    Today though, there is strong evidence of the contrary. Coconut oil has so many health benefits it is considered a “super-food”.

    Recent findings also found that coconut oil has been proven to reverse Alzheimer’s disease.

    Studies show that consuming coconut oil can help the bodies immune system build a resistance to viruses and bacteria that cause illness. It also helps fight off yeast infections, fungus, and candida.

    It also positively affects our hormones that control thyroid and blood sugars. People who take coconut oil have shown improved blood sugar levels since the fruit can help improve insulin use in the body. It also helps boost thyroid function – thereby increasing metabolism function – adding energy and endurance.

    It has been shown that lauric acid increases the good HDL cholesterol in the blood to help improve cholesterol ratio levels. It also lowers cholesterol by promoting its conversion to pregnenolone, a steroidal hormone manufactured in the body.

    The fats in coconuts are called medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) that have shown to break down unhealthy fats in the liver allowing efficient burning through energy. A 2009 study found that women who consumed 2 tablespoons of the oil daily did not gain weight, but experienced a lessening of abdominal fat.

    Coconut oils have also been shown to have an antioxidant effect in the body. Meaning they help stop damage that other unhealthy fats do to our tissues and our body. Oxidation is a known contributor to heart problems, as well as aging skin. The oil can help our bodies reduce the need for antioxidants.

    Coconut oil is a great oil to use in cooking, and a good replacement for the higher and less beneficial vegetable oils so prevalent on the market today.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons