Caraka says this about oil pulling: Keeping of oil gargle provides strength in jaws and voice, development of the face, maximum taste and relish of food. Oil pulling therapy can be done using oils like sunflower oil or sesame oil. Gandusha – let us call this as oil pulling. When this practice is done routinely, it improves vision, hearing, smell and taste. One does not suffer from dryness of throat, lip cracking and teeth become firmly rooted. Gandusha and Kavala, popularly known as oil pulling, are specialized Ayurveda oral cleansing techniques to treat as well as prevent oral diseases.

The title here reads ‘oil pulling’ but it is actually a procedure called mouth gargling using oil. Oil Pulling / Gandusha is a very powerful and effective Detoxifying Ayurvedic practice that has recently become very popular.The concept of oil pulling is not new, and it has been mentioned in the Ayurvedic scripture called Charaka Samhita, where it is referred to as Kavala Graha or Kavala Gandusha. Gandusha and Kavala, popularly known as oil pulling, are specialized Ayurveda oral cleansing techniques to treat as well as prevent oral diseases. In Gandusha, the oral cavity is filled completely with medicated oils or decoctions held for about 3 to 5 minutes, and then spat out.

Oil pulling, the practice of “swishing” oil around your mouth for up to 20 minutes, has been in use for thousands of years. It also promotes mental clarity and improves memory. Ayurveda explains two types of similar procedures. Oil pulling allows time for the digestive enzymes in the mouth to break down the oil and fully activate it.

(though other liquids than oils are also used). “Oil pulling is an age-old therapy, known to us as Kavala Graha or Gandoosha,” said Ayurvedic doctor L Mahadevan of the Sri Sarada Ayurveda Clinic in Chennai. J'ai testé le oil pulling, le rinçage de bouche ayurvédique à l'huile. The liquid is filled to the maximum capacity of mouth and it is held inside the mouth for specific amount of time. Oil pulling in the morning especially is both refreshing and calming. But a slate of publicity purporting the practice’s teeth whitening and breath-freshening benefits piqued the curiosity of Western natural-health seekers. Julien Pidoux. This may explain why simply brushing the teeth with coconut oil was not a common Ayurvedic practice, while swishing with a blend of coconut and sesame oils for 10–20 minutes is.

Not only oil, but many types of liquids can be used for this purpose based on desired benefits.

Oil Pulling involves the use of natural oils to clean and detoxify oral cavity.

In Kavala, a comfortable amount is retained in the mouth and swished for about 3-5 minutes. Benefits of Oil Pulling. Here, there is no gargling. In Gandusha, the oral cavity is filled completely with medicated oils or decoctions held for about 3 to 5 minutes, and then spat out. Sesame oil is considered to be the queen of oil seed crops because of its beneficiary effects. Oil pulling is clearly mentioned in the classic and most esteemed textbook of Ayurveda, the Caraka Samhita.

Let us look into these liquids, procedure of oil pulling, its different benefits, etc in a detailed way.