Mouthwash Does Not Help Clear Mouthwash (or Cure All Your Illnesses)
Oil gargling, an ancient practice of gargling with oil in the mouth that seems to be forever, is touted as a great way to keep teeth clean and cure a variety of ailments . However, most of the claims are hype.
Only a few peer-reviewed studies have tested whether oil rinsing has any beneficial effects on oral health and whether it actually reduces bacteria in the mouth. Sounds great, but the same can be said for brushing your teeth (which many oil scrapers do after spitting out the oil anyway). The only direct comparison of mouthwash with oil to regular dental care found that mouthwash does not reduce bacteria better than chlorhexidine mouthwash (a common prescription mouthwash). If you’re going to rinse your mouth with oil for 20 minutes, as many protocols recommend, you’ll probably want more impressive results.
Dr. Stephen Novella writes in Science Based Medicine:
Even with the bias of the researcher aside, the evidence is unlikely to be conclusive. Taken at face value, this means that oil rinsing is beneficial to oral health, probably simply due to mechanical cleaning (possibly enhanced by oil emulsification), but not as effective as standard modern mouth rinse therapy. … While oil rinsing may be a better alternative if you are stuck without modern dental care, there is no scientific basis for plausibility or empirical evidence for any claims of overall health benefits.
Gargling with oil is believed to heal a variety of non-oral ailments (diabetes, allergies, migraines!), But there is no complete evidence for this. So if you enjoy gargling oil as part of your daily routine, go ahead, but don’t believe the hype that it is a natural remedy for whatever is bothering you.
Oil stretches the leg | Scientific medicine
Photo: Meal Makeover Moms .