Ever since we were kids, our mums told us that oil had great health benefits for us. While most of us were told to apply oil to our hair and scalp, turns out there's one more thing oil can do that's amazing for health but it might gross you out. We're talking about oil pulling. For those uninitiated, oil pulling refers to the method of taking a tablespoon of oil and swishing it around your mouth for a good twenty minutes. You're supposed to do it on an empty stomach and you can use the oil of your preference. We'd suggest coconut oil because we're sure you have that lying around all the time plus it doesn't taste as bad. So, read on to see what health benefits oil pulling has to offer.

The one thing oil pulling does with perfection is to get rid of toxins from your body. This is why it can help remove alcohol toxins that lurk in your body and can help your body feel a lot better. Whereas when it comes to headaches and migraines, they're usually caused due to toxic stress, so if there's no toxic stress (thanks to oil pulling) there'll be no headache either.

We're sure you've invested in various face washes and skincare products to ensure that your skin stays acne and blemish-free. What oil pulling does instead is it prevents bacteria from multiplying to the point that it could cause acne. So, oil pulling actually gets rid of a problem before it has the time to fester.

Now, you can skip those unnecessary teeth-whitening trips to your dentist. Apart from removing surface stains from your teeth, it can even prevent plaque build-up as well as get rid of bacteria from your mouth which further reduces the risk of cavities. The removal of bacteria also helps get rid of bad breath which is an added bonus.

Ever heard of the phrase, 'You are what you eat?'. Well, to some extent that is true. In today's age, we end up eating a lot of junk food and the worst part is that it shows on our skin. So, when you practice oil pulling, it kills all the harmful bacteria in your mouth before it has a chance to get to your stomach which is why it can also help your body detox.

Your immune system works continuously to get rid of toxins from your body which means that quite a lot of your energy is spent on this task. Oil pulling can eliminate these toxins before they reach the core of your body and can thus prevent your body from expending unnecessary energy.