Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma recently posted an Instagram photo of herself practicing an interesting Ayurvedic health ritual, oil-pulling. Her health-conscious sportsman husband Virat Kohli is either brimming with love for her cute expression in the photo, which also features their adorable dog, Dude, or seems to be a fan of this practice. We say this because he left a heart emoji in the comments under the picture.
Image source: Anushka Sharma via Instagram
Since the act of oil-pulling is something many celebrities, including Gwyneth Paltrow do, let’s understand what it is, and the rationale behind it.
Anushka explained oil-pulling in her post itself
Image source: Anushka Sharma via Instagram
In her post’s caption, Anushka wrote: “Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic practice known as “kavala” or “gandusha” , a dental technique that involves swishing little oil in your mouth on an empty stomach for few minutes and then spitting it out . This action is excellent for dental hygiene & health and also draws out toxins in the body.”
Essentially, oil-pulling is something you should do first thing in the morning, and the minimum recommended amount of time you need to swish is at least five minutes.
How oil-pulling works in Ayurveda, and which oils are used for this
Traditionally, sunflower and sesame oil were used for oil-pulling, and this practice was said to improve gum health, tooth decay, bad breath, and other dental hygiene issues, according to Ayurveda.
Image source: Anushka Sharma via Instagram
Now, it is often recommended that oil-pulling be done with food-grade, cold-pressed, pure coconut oil. This is because coconut oil contains lauric acid, which is an anti-microbial agent. So, the idea of it cleansing the mouth and getting rid of germs stems from this.
Image source: iStock Photo
Does it actually build immunity?
Anushka wrote in her post “As we are all using this time to take better care of our health and improve our immunity I thought of sharing this.”
However, there’s no scientific evidence to support the proven medical benefits of this practice, even though theoretically, many Ayurveda practitioners and Anushka recommended doing it for better immunity. Hopefully, there will be more research providing conclusive insights on this subject. Till then, it’s best to brush twice a day as dentists recommend!
Lead image credits: Virat Kohli via Instagram
