Author: Kelly Burch

What are some of the most common health complaints among your friends? If you’re like most women, fatigue and an inability to lose weight are probably near the top of the list. These can be signs that—like many women—you or your friend is over-scheduled and overstressed. However, they can also be signs of a thyroid condition.
You’ve probably heard of the thyroid, but might not understand exactly what it is. This small gland has a huge impact on your health, however, so learning about what it does and how to keep it functioning properly is very important. Because thyroid disease is common among American women, having an understanding of the thyroid and what can go wrong with it can help you get a proper diagnosis if you begin having health concerns.
Read on to learn everything you need to know about your thyroid and to get familiar with the most common thyroid problems you might encounter.

What is the thyroid?

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland that is found in your neck right below your Adam’s apple. The gland is about two inches long and is made of two lobes (think of them as the wings of a butterfly) connected by a thin piece of tissue. The lobes sit on either side of your windpipe.
The thyroid is responsible for producing, storing, and releasing two types of thyroid hormones: triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). These hormones travel to every area of your body in order to control metabolism, the process by which your body converts the food you eat into fuel. Metabolism is the process that keeps your entire body functioning, and the hormones that control that process are essential to good health.
“The thyroid is so important because it produces thyroid hormones, which are needed by every organ in the body in order to maintain life,” says Jessica Kanwhen, doctor of pharmacy. “So this means your heart, liver, kidneys, muscles, skin, reproductive organs, etc. all need thyroid hormones to be able to do the processes that maintain your life.”
The thyroid is one of many hormone-producing glands in your body’s endocrine system. These glands work together to produce the hormones that your body needs to function properly.

What causes thyroid issues, and are women more at risk?

Thyroid problems occur when the thyroid produces too many or too few hormones. These problems can affect both men and women. The American Thyroid Association estimates that 12 percent of Americans will develop a thyroid issue during their lives, but 60 percent will not know that they have the condition. Although thyroid conditions occur in men and women, females are six to eight times more likely to develop a thyroid condition, according to the association. In fact, about one in eight American women will develop a thyroid issue.
So, why are women affected more than men? There are a few reasons. First off, the female hormones can interfere with the thyroid or increase the chances that the body’s immune system will begin attacking the gland (more on that to come), according to Kanwhen. The normal hormonal fluctuations that many women go through over the course of their lives can also put a strain on the thyroid.
Pregnancy is another big risk factor for thyroid issues, explains Prudence Hall, MD, author of Radiant Again & Forever. Iodine is a critical mineral needed for the thyroid to function at a healthy level. However, in order to develop its own thyroid hormones, a developing fetus will draw iodine from the mother, often leaving her with too little of the mineral. This can cause the thyroid to be hypoactive.
Finally, and somewhat controversially, some believe that women use more beauty products that can disrupt the endocrine system. Certain ingredients in cosmetics and other beauty products contain parabens and other chemicals that have been shown to disrupt the endocrine system in large doses. Peer-reviewed research on the subject doesn’t clearly indicate how much of an impact this has on thyroid health, but some experts, including Kanwhen, believe the impact is significant.
“Unfortunately, a lot of these personal care products contain toxic ingredients that disrupt the body’s hormones,” she says. “These toxins can lead to poor thyroid function and the creation of thyroid issues.”
Kanwhen emphasizes that not all women will develop thyroid issues, but that they are common enough that all women should be informed about them.
“I hope you don’t feel doomed to have thyroid issues just because you’re a woman,” she says. “Being a woman doesn’t make you destined to have thyroid issues. Rather, being a woman should encourage you to be informed about what will and won’t work for the makeup of your gender.”
Finally, some people are simply more likely to develop to thyroid issues, although scientists aren’t yet sure why, says Melanie Goldfarb, MD, an endocrine surgeon and director of the Endocrine Tumor Program at John Wayne Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California.
“Many people are also genetically predisposed (they have family members whose thyroids didn’t work properly),” she says. “We really don’t know the underlying cause of what causes many thyroid disorders.”
However, science has come a long way in understanding how the disorders operate and affect the body.
Here is a look at the most common types of thyroid disorders.

What is hypothyroidism and how can it be treated?

Hypothyroidism is the most common thyroid disorder. It occurs when the thyroid is underactive, producing too little T3 and T4 to keep the body running properly. In turn, many of the symptoms are things you would expect to experience when your system is operating too slowly, including an inability to lose weight, fatigue, intolerance to cold, forgetfulness, depression, and hair loss.
Most people with hypothyroidism are told to start treatment with more natural remedies. One way to control hypothyroidism to boost your intake of iodine, which is critical for thyroid health, says Hall. Selenium is another nutrient that is important for thyroid health. Increasing intake of these can help people with hypothyroidism avoid the need to take hormones.
Hall says that a common treatment is to take between three and 12 milligrams of iodine either in a pill or a tincture (which involves diluting it in alcohol). Eating seaweed is a good way to boost your iodine naturally, she says. Taking 200 micrograms of selenium or eating four Brazil nuts every day also promotes thyroid health. However, these measures don’t control hypothyroidism for everyone.
“When a hypothyroid condition is not corrected by iodine and selenium, thyroid hormones needs to be taken,” Hall says. She goes on to say that most people need to take both T3 and T4 to return to optimal health.
“A natural thyroid hormone combining T3 and T4 is best, as both are essential for the body’s optimal health,” she says, noting that the most commonly prescribed brand name thyroid supplements are Armour and Nature-Throid.

A Unique Kind of Hypothyroidism

Many people who have hypothyroidism are suffering from Hashimoto’s disease, an inflammatory condition of the thyroid gland caused by an autoimmune imbalance. In these cases, the immune system attacks the thyroid gland.
“In Hashimoto’s, our immune system incorrectly targets the thyroid gland as a foreign invader and begins to destroy it,” Hall says. The way the disease presents is a bit complicated. “It usually leads to low, hypothyroid conditions and symptoms, but as the gland is being progressively destroyed, can also cause intermittent hyperthyroid surges as well.”
In order to treat Hashimoto’s disease, a healthcare provider and patient must work together to find the underlying cause of the autoimmune response. This might be caused by gluten intolerance, iodine deficiency, digestive problems, or low estrogen, Hall says.
Hashimoto’s disease is very common, with about 5 percent of American’s living with it, according to the National Institutes of Health.
“Hashimoto’s may sound like some foreign, far off disease, but it’s not,” says Kanwhen.
People who have other autoimmune diseases—like celiac disease or lupus—are more likely to develop Hashimoto’s disease. Some of the symptoms of Hashimoto’s disease can be alleviated by taking supplemental thyroid hormones, but Kanwhen says that addressing the underlying autoimmune disorder through dietary changes, stress management, and other holistic approaches is also critical.
“Failure to address the autoimmunity will result in the patient requiring supplemental thyroid hormone replacement indefinitely,” she says.

What is Graves’ disease and how can it be treated?

While many women are familiar with the fact that there are adverse effects associated with the thyroid slowing down, having an overactive thyroid is also very dangerous. This condition is known as hyperthyroidism, which is commonly referred to as Graves’ disease.
Graves’ disease causes the thyroid to produce too many hormones. This can cause heart palpitations, difficulty sleeping, rapid weight loss, anxiety, irritability, bone loss, thinning hair, loose bowels, and muscle wasting, according to Hall.
Graves’ disease is also an autoimmune condition that involves antibodies attacking the thyroid. It can be a serious condition that is difficult to control.
“These conditions are harder to treat, with doctors frequently resorting to drugs, surgery, and radioactive iodine,” says Hall.
However, both surgery and radioactive iodine destroy the thyroid gland, meaning that the patient will need to take supplemental hormones for the rest of their life. Because of this, Hall recommends trying dietary changes to alleviate symptoms before more drastic measures are taken.
“Anti-inflammatory herbs like ginger, basil, and rosemary can help, and having a diet rich in green nutrients also is important,” she says. “Removing sugar, additives, and processed foods, as well as decreasing dairy can help.”

How can we promote thyroid health?

Thyroid issues can cause some pretty scary health effects. Because of this, it’s important to make healthy lifestyle choices that can discourage thyroid issues from developing.
“Thyroid conditions do not happen independently of our lifestyle and general health,” says Hall. “The thyroid gland is very sensitive to toxicity and stress, which needs to be managed. Dietary interventions definitely help keep it healthy.”
Hall recommends getting eight hours of sleep a night, eating iodine-rich foods like seaweed, and avoiding pesticides and refined sugars to keep your thyroid healthy.
If you’re concerned about your thyroid health, ask your doctor to run a full thyroid panel. One reason that thyroid disease is often underdiagnosed is because doctors only measure levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) rather than doing a more in-depth test that measures levels of T3 and T4 as well as other thyroid markers, says Kanwhen.
“Thyroid stimulating hormone is considered the ‘gold standard’ thyroid function test. Unfortunately, TSH alone does not give the full picture of thyroid function,” she says. “Most traditional doctors do not order a full thyroid panel and this is why so many thyroid issues are not being diagnosed. Because the right thyroid tests are not being ordered, people are going undiagnosed and their health and well-being are at stake.”
This can be incredibly frustrating for people who are suffering but feel that they are not being heard.
“It is this lack of appropriate thyroid testing that causes people with thyroid issues to feel like they are crazy.  They’re told they are hypochondriacs or that their symptoms are all in their head,” Kanwhen says. “They are not crazy. They are actually sick and they need the detailed care of a health care professional who actually understands the thyroid gland and how to fix it.”
However, Goldfarb says that some people become fixated on a thyroid issue because the symptoms are relatively common.
“Many people blame their thyroid for many symptoms that are nonspecific and unrelated,” she says. “If you have some of the symptoms above but your labs look great, you don’t have a thyroid problem.”

Is there a cure for thyroid problems?

Goldfarb says that people with thyroid conditions should feel good knowing that they will likely get relief.
“Thyroid disorders are very [treatable] and 99 percent of people will feel normal once they are on the right dose of meds,” she says.
However, there is no way to permanently cure true thyroid conditions.
“Since we do not understand the etiology [that is, the underlying catalyst] behind the cause of many thyroid disorders, I would say that they are mostly ‘treated’ [rather than cured],” she says.
The good news is that it’s possible to live a full life with a properly treated thyroid condition. Although these conditions might seem scary, knowing what to look for, what tests to discuss with your doctor, and what lifestyle changes can promote a healthy thyroid gland can empower you to maintain your optimal health.
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You step on the scale only to see that it hasn’t moved at all. Or you get into the afternoon and just can’t stop yawning. What is causing your system to slow down? In the process of searching for answers, you’ll likely comes across experts and celebrities blaming weight stagnation (aka weight gain) and low energy on slow metabolism.
But what exactly is metabolism? If yours is slow, is there anything that can be done to speed it back up? And is faster always better?
Chances are you’ve asked yourself these questions in your quest to move toward better health, especially as you age. Unfortunately, it can be hard to get straight answers about metabolism, in part because it’s a very complicated bodily process that affects so much more than just our weight and energy levels. In fact, our metabolism affects every single process in our bodies.
You may see celebrities and health experts proclaiming that they’ve found the newest and best way to boost metabolism, but the truth is that keeping your metabolism running at a healthy level requires a holistic approach rather than a quick fix.
HealthyWay talked to experts about the misunderstandings around metabolism and how to naturally give your metabolism a boost.  Here’s what they had to say.

What is metabolism, anyway?

Simply put, metabolism is the process by which your body converts food into energy.
“Metabolism is the process by which your body processes, converts, and utilizes the food you consume,” says Raj Gupta, doctor of chiropractic and founder of Soul Focus Wellness Center.
That sounds fairly simple, right? It is, until you realize that every single system in your body relies on metabolism to keep functioning. When you eat, your body breaks down the calories in your food to fuel your bodily processes. This energy isn’t just directed at keeping you going through a long work day—in fact, most of it is expended on critical bodily functions like breathing, restoring cells, and regulating your hormones.
The amount of energy that your body needs to maintain all these functions is called your basal metabolic rate or BMR. Put a bit differently, your basal metabolic rate tells you how many calories you would need to survive if you were at rest (think, laying in bed) for 24 hours. BMR is what most people are talking about when they refer to metabolism.
Another term frequently used in discussing metabolism is resting metabolic rate or RMR, which is similar to BMR, but is less restrictive when it comes to how it’s measured. According to the American Council on Exercise, a formal measure of a person’s RMR does not require that they sleep overnight at a testing facility, for example.
And while you might think that you use the most energy when you’re moving around and exercising, the truth is that your basal metabolic rate—the energy needed just for critical functions—accounts for about 70 percent of your energy usage each day. That’s important to know since it’s relatively easy to go to the gym and burn a few hundred more calories, but tougher to increase the amount of energy required to keep your body functioning, which is what it takes to boost your BMR.
The food that your body metabolizes quickly is used to fuel your body functions. Food that is not metabolized before you eat again is more likely to be stored as fat, Gupta says.
“The quicker your metabolism, the quicker you are able to make fuel of the nutrients you ingest and the less likely it is to become fat,” he explains. “If you don’t metabolize the food you have eaten from your last meal before eating another, you will have too many calories and much of what you eat will be stored for future energy.”
So, if your body takes longer to convert food into fuel (that is, if you have a slower metabolism), you are more likely to be consuming excess food that will wind up being stored as fat rather than being burned off in the course of daily activity.

What affects your metabolic rate?

We often hear talk about fast or slow metabolisms, but the truth is that there is no ideal metabolism. One study published in the journal Medicine and Science of Sports and Exercise concluded, “No single value for [resting metabolic rate] is appropriate for all adults.” Rather, metabolic rate is determined by various genetic and lifestyle factors.
There are many different (and complicated!) equations for calculating basal metabolic rate. Although they boast varying degrees of accuracy, a study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that a few specific factors that have the biggest effect on basal metabolic rate.
According to the study, body composition has the largest impact on a person’s BMR. People with more fat-free mass (that is, those who have more muscle) are more likely to have a higher metabolic rate. Since men have more muscle than women in general, they typically have a higher metabolic rate. (If you’ve ever noticed that your husband or brother can eat tons of food and never change shape, science says you’re onto something.) As people age, their metabolism tends to slow down, more quickly in men than women, the study found.
Again, this has to do with muscle mass and the fact that muscle generally decreases with age.

Does a higher metabolism help you lose weight?

In popular culture, we talk about weight and metabolism as if the two go hand in hand, but that understanding isn’t entirely accurate. There is a connection between metabolism and weight, but it’s a pretty complicated one, experts say.
Remember how Gupta explained that food that is metabolized quickly is burned as fuel, whereas excess food (calories that are not burned before we eat again) is stored as fat? In this way, yes, having a slower metabolism can lead to having more body fat.
However, weight gain (or the inability to lose weight) is affected more by what we eat, how much we eat, and how much exercise we get than by our basal metabolic rate, experts say.
“Contrary to common belief, a slow metabolism is rarely the cause of excess weight gain,” experts at the Mayo Clinic write in an article on the relationship between metabolism and weight loss. “Although your metabolism influences your body’s basic energy needs, how much you eat and drink along with how much physical activity you get are the things that ultimately determine your weight.”
Basically, we need to eat in line with our unique metabolisms. Since men generally have a higher metabolisms, their daily recommended caloric intake is higher. If a woman (who will generally have a lower metabolism) ate the same amount of calories recommended for a man, she might gain weight, but the reason for her weight gain would be overeating based on her needs, rather than a deficiency when it comes to her metabolism.
That shift in thinking is subtle but important for people who are trying to lose weight. A slower metabolism doesn’t prevent you from losing weight, it just means you need to eat fewer calories.
“While it is true that some people seem to be able to lose weight more quickly and more easily than others, everyone loses weight when they burn up more calories than they eat,” the Mayo Clinic experts write. “To lose weight, you need to create an energy deficit by eating fewer calories or increasing the number of calories you burn through physical activity or both.”
At the same time, if your metabolism is higher, your body may need more calories each day, and therefore you can expect to consume more food without gaining weight because the calories you consume and burn will not be stored as fat.

Does metabolism slow down with age?

Many people are concerned that they will gain weight because their metabolism will slow down as they get older. Women, in particular, may worry that when they reach their forties they will suddenly have slower metabolisms that will thwart their health and fitness goals.
And yes, it’s true that metabolism decreases with age. This slowing of BMR is caused by a combination of lifestyle and physiological effects.
“As we age, we have a tendency to be less active and we also have less muscle mass,” Gupta explains. “As a result, our metabolism does slow down. In order to counteract this, we need to maintain our muscle mass through exercise, which becomes a greater struggle as we age because muscles no longer respond as quickly as they did when we were younger.”

This is the biggest key to boosting your metabolism.

If you’re looking for a single thing you can do to boost your metabolism, this is it: Develop more lean muscle, particularly through weightlifting exercise.
“The more muscle mass a person has, the quicker their metabolism,” Gupta says. That’s because lean muscle requires more energy than fat does. If you add lean muscle to your body, your basal metabolic rate increases and your body burns more calories in order to sustain that muscle, which accounts for the assertion (in the International Journal of Obesity study, cited above) that people with more lean muscle have higher metabolic rates.
Robert S. Herbst, a personal trainer and former Olympic official, explains further.
“Having more muscle means having a higher metabolism because muscle is metabolically active,” he says. “It burns energy and gives us body heat. Having more muscle means burning more calories even when you are at rest, just like a six cylinder car burns more gas than a four cylinder one when stopped at a red light.”
In addition to helping you develop more lean muscle, doing weightlifting exercises further boosts your metabolism even when you’re in post-workout recovery mode.
“Weight lifting increases your metabolism because it causes your body to spend energy to recover from the workout,” Herbst explains. “During weight training, the muscle fibers incur microtears. To recover, the body repairs these tears, sending protein to the muscle and removing waste products. All this takes energy.”
In fact, your metabolic rate is raised for up to 72 hours after a weightlifting session while your body expends extra energy to repair the muscle fibers that were damaged during the process, rebuilding them stronger.
To get this benefit, Herbst recommends doing exercises that engage major muscle groups, like squats, lunges, deadlifts, and bench presses. For women, these same exercises are especially beneficial because they also strengthen bones, helping to prevent osteoporosis as well.

The Power of a Good Night’s Sleep

Hitting the gym can be daunting, but it’s an important way to stay healthy and increase your metabolism. This next suggestion is a bit more tame, but still important: Get more sleep.
One study found that sleep disruptions—like shift work, not getting enough sleep, or having sleep apnea—can significantly disrupt metabolism. More studies need to be conducted in order for scientists to pinpoint exactly why this is, but suffice it to say that getting a solid eight hours of sleep is important to keeping your body functioning at its best.

Eat this every day.

Another natural way to boost your metabolism is to make sure you’re getting enough protein, says Anna Morrison, a family nurse practitioner and co-founder of the No BS Supplements Company.
“Protein is the foundation of creating muscle,” she says. We’ve already established that having more muscle is essential for boosting metabolism, and eating protein (especially after a workout) can help you build that muscle.
Morrison points out that it’s important to change protein sources regularly to keep your digestive system healthy and ensure that the protein you’re eating is being metabolized effectively.
“Changing up your protein sources is one of the best ways to increase your metabolism, especially if you’re over 40,” she says. Spend a few days a week getting your protein from beans, lentils, and other plant sources. Then switch to animal proteins like meat and eggs. Morrison points out that this variety is great for overall health.
“Varying your protein source is also a great way to get a well-rounded diet,” she says.

Definitely don’t do this.

If you’re looking to boost your metabolism, it’s important to eat regularly.
“While skipping a meal might seem like a good way to lose weight, it’s actually detrimental to your metabolism,” says Richard Aponte, former personal trainer and head of product development at Myokem Supplements. “Your body will actually assume that you are starving and conserve energy by slowing down your metabolism.”
The most common meal that people skip is breakfast. Mornings can be hectic, but take time to grab a breakfast that is full of lean protein, healthy fat, and complex carbohydrates, Aponte says.
Speaking of healthy fats, Aponte points out that eating plenty of Omega-3 fatty acids is another way to boost your metabolism. These fats, found in seafoods and plant-based sources like flax, can help send signals to your brain that you have eaten enough, keeping you from ingesting so much food that your metabolism can’t keep up.
In many ways, your metabolic rate is determined by things like your genetics, sex, and size. However, taking reasonable steps like incorporating weight training, making time for sleep, and eating intentionally can boost your metabolism and help you look and feel your best.
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From a young age, we’re taught about the importance of dental health. You probably brush your teeth every day, at least twice a day, floss regularly, and avoid eating sugary foods. After all, cavities and dental procedures are no fun, so avoiding them can provide plenty of inspiration for maintaining good dental hygiene. Plus, we now know that dental health is an important part of overall health, so keeping a good oral hygiene routine is about much more than just maintaining those pearly whites.
No matter how healthy you are, though, you might not have heard of oil pulling. However, the practice could be your new go-to for improving your dental and overall health. Sure, the name sounds a little unappealing, and once you realize that oil pulling involves swirling oil around your mouth for 20 minutes at a time, you might not be so keen on giving the practice a try. If you can get over that hesitation, though, you can reap the benefits, which are said to range from whiter teeth to fewer toxins in your body.
Want to know if oil pulling is right for you? Here’s everything you need to know about the ancient practice before incorporating it into your wellness plan.

What is oil pulling?

Before we get too far, let’s take an look at what oil pulling actually is. After all, the term and the practice are unfamiliar to many Americans.
Oil pulling is the practice of using oil to clean the mouth. While the process is fairly involved, the big takeaway is that you put about a tablespoon of oil in your mouth and swish it around, pulling it between your teeth for about 20 minutes before spitting it out. Proponents of oil pulling say the process draws toxins out of the system, cleansing not just the mouth but the entire body. Some say that because of the purification oil pulling causes, it can be used to treat a range of illnesses and diseases.
Oil pulling is often said to be an ancient Ayurvedic practice, stemming from the traditional medicine of India. However, that might be a bit of a misrepresentation.
Ancient Ayurvedic medicine did promote gargling with oil. According to Claudia Welch, doctor of Oriental medicine, one oft-quoted Ayurvedic text reads, “Keeping of oil gargle provides strength in jaws and voice, development of face, maximum taste and relish in food. The person practicing this does not suffer from dryness of throat, there is no fear of lip-cracking, teeth are not affected with caries, rather they become firm-rooted. They (teeth) are not painful, nor are they oversensitive on sour-taking, they become able to chew even the hardest food items.”
However, most experts say that this is fairly different from the oil pulling that people practice today, which has much more modern roots. Bruce Fife, certified nutritionist, naturopathic physician, and expert on oil pulling, writes in an article for the Coconut Research Center that the practice as we know it today was first promoted in 1992.
Whether oil pulling has been practiced for thousands of years or only a few decades, scientific and anecdotal evidence both show that it can be highly effective.

How does oil pulling work?

How can swirling oil around your mouth improve the condition of your teeth and detoxify your body? The process seems a little hard to believe, but a growing cohort of experts insist that it works.
“Oil pulling is a detoxification of your mouth,” says Rebecca Lee, a registered nurse from New York City and the founder of Remedies For Me, a website that promotes natural remedies for various ailments. “This process sucks out toxins that are built up in the mouth and creates a cleaner environment by killing lingering harmful microbes.”
Fife says that the process isn’t too different to what happens in your car’s engine.
“The oil acts like a cleanser,” he writes in the same Coconut Research Center piece. “When you put it in your mouth and work it around your teeth and gums it ‘pulls’ out bacteria and other debris. It acts much like the oil you put in your car engine. The oil picks up dirt and grime. When you drain the oil, it pulls out the dirt and grime with it, leaving the engine relatively clean. Consequently, the engine runs smoother and lasts longer. Likewise, when we expel harmful substances from our bodies our health is improved and we run smoother and last longer.”
Lee says that oils containing fatty acids, like coconut oil, attract inflammation-causing microbes. These are drawn out from the gums and between the teeth and eventually leave the body when you spit out the oil, she says. Because of this, oil pulling can improve a variety of health conditions throughout your whole body.
“Oil pulling flushes out potentially harmful microbes that can cause bad breath and other oral health disorders,” she says.

What does the science say?

Scientific studies strongly support the benefits of oil pulling. One study published in The Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine found that increasing awareness of oil pulling and other Ayurvedic practices could help prevent tooth loss and decay in certain populations. The study notes that Ayurvedic practitioners believe the tongue is connected to organ systems throughout the body, and therefore that detoxifying the mouth can benefit the entire physical body. The authors also note that oil pulling and other complementary and alternative means of oral health care can prevent and cure certain illnesses.  
“The oil therapy is preventative as well as curative. The exciting aspect of this healing method is its simplicity,” they write.
A study published in the Indian Journal of Dental Research concluded, “The myth that the effect of oil-pulling therapy on oral health was just a placebo effect has been broken.” Another study concluded, “Oil pulling can be used as an effective preventive adjunct in maintaining and improving oral health.” Oil pulling with coconut oil has also been shown to reduce plaque formation and gingivitis.
A 2016 study published in the Journal of Contemporary Dental Practice surprised even the researchers. The authors were comparing oil pulling with coconut oil to the use of an antimicrobial mouthwash. They hypothesized that the coconut oil would not reduce the bacteria count in participants’ saliva. However, they found that the coconut oil pulling did reduce the bacteria in participants’ saliva and can be considered “a safe and effective alternative” to chemical mouthwashes.
The study’s authors state that their findings’ have legitimate clinical significance. “Edible oil-pulling therapy is natural, safe, and has no side effects. Hence, it can be considered as a preventive therapy at home to maintain oral hygiene.”

Can your dental health actually have an impact on your whole body?

The idea that your dental health has an impact on all areas of your body might seem extreme, but research supports its validity. Your mouth is full of bacteria (most of which are good or harmless). If those bacteria get out of control, however, they can wreak havoc on your whole body. This happens when you have dental conditions like gingivitis (gum inflammation) or periodontitis, a serious gum disease.
Some research suggests that there is a noteworthy relationship between oral health and cardiovascular disease. The science is not yet definitive, but the American Heart Association (AHA) says that oral health can be a good indicator of overall health.
“The mouth can be a good warning signpost,” Ann Bolger, MD, William Watt Kerr Professor of Clinical Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, told the AHA. “People with periodontitis often have risk factors that not only put their mouth at risk, but their heart and blood vessels, too. But whether one causes the other has not actually been shown.”
There are additional ways that the health of your mouth affects your overall health, too. One of the main functions of saliva is to sweep bacteria away from our teeth. However, the fluid is also critical for promoting healthy digestion. Lee says that increasing saliva through oil pulling can help us digest food more efficiently.
“Oil pulling increases the production of saliva, which increases the speed of digestion,” she says.

Giving Oil Pulling a Try (And Why You’ll Need a Trash Can Nearby)

If you’re ready to give oil pulling a try, the first step is to make sure that you have the right kind of oil on hand. Coconut oil is the most commonly used. In addition to being a popular oil in Ayurvedic tradition, coconut oil has strong antimicrobial properties that make it especially effective at removing toxins during oil pulling. Additionally, most coconut oils contain vitamin E, which has been known to help repair tissue and fight inflammation. Sesame oil is another common choice that has similar benefits, and really any vegetable-based oil can be used.
“Coconut oil, olive oil, sunflower seed oil, and sesame oil have strong antimicrobial and antifungal properties that can keep your teeth strong and healthy,” says Lee. “Coconut oil contains lauric acid and produces monolaurin after digestion. Both lauric acid and monolaurin are powerful agents against harmful bacteria, viruses, and fungi.”
You’ll also want to make sure that you have a trash can with a plastic or removable liner nearby. That’s because when you’re finished oil pulling you can’t simply spit the oil into the sink or even the toilet.
“The used oil can cause a clogged drain,” Lee explains.

What does the process of oil pulling entail?

Now that you’ve stocked up on your oil of choice, it’s time to actually give oil pulling a try. The best time to oil pull is in the morning on an empty stomach as soon as you wake up.
“Make sure to oil pull before you eat, drink, or brush your teeth,” Lee says.
Begin by putting one to two tablespoons of oil in your mouth (you’ll want your mouth about half full). If you’re using coconut oil, make sure it is in its liquid form, not hardened because of exposure to cold. Once the oil is in your mouth, simply swish it around for 15 to 20 minutes, making sure to pass it over your gums and pull it through your teeth, Lee says.
During that time, be careful not to swallow any of the oil. After all, you’re using it to collect all the bacteria and toxins that you don’t want in your mouth, and you certainly don’t want to ingest them any further into your system.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, spit a little bit of the oil out (into the trash, not the sink!). As time passes, you’ll notice the texture of the oil changing as it picks up substances from your gums and teeth. When you spit it out, it will likely be whitish and lumpy.
When you’re done, rinse your mouth with warm water, or Lee recommends a sea salt or pink Himalayan salt solution for added cleansing. After that, you can brush your teeth and carry on with your day.

Tips and tricks to make oil pulling easier.

Lee says that oil pulling is safe for nearly anyone—including pregnant and nursing women. Even people with dentures can benefit from the removal of toxins via oil pulling, although dentures should be removed during the process, she says.
She shares that kids ages 5 and older can try it as well, but should use less oil and aim to pull it through their teeth for a shorter amount of time. It’s important that a child knows not to swallow the oil and has demonstrated that they don’t swallow toothpaste, gum, or mouthwash before being allowed to participate in oil pulling like Mom or Dad.
Many people balk at the idea of spending 20 minutes swishing oil. If that’s a concern, try oil pulling while you are in the shower, or use it as a way to work a little more relaxation time into your morning.
“Just put the oil in your mouth, get back into bed with your phone to keep you company, and it’ll be over before you know it,” Lee says.

It’s important to recognize that oil pulling—which can be done multiple times a day or just a few days a week—is a supplement to your current dental routine, not a substitute.
“Oil pulling should not replace the physical brushing of your teeth, flossing, or the visitation of your dentist every six months,” Lee says. “It is rather an effective addition to your already established oral routine.”
The process may take some time to get used to, but if you can incorporate oil pulling into your life, the results will be worth it.
Lee’s best advice? “Don’t discredit oil pulling until you’ve actually tried it for at least a week.”