March 2025 Newsletter
Pulling your leg… about oil-pulling. It is not a new thing, but recently an article about it caught my eye because it offered more information and better details. First, what is it? Along with brushing and flossing your teeth, you can get your teeth and gums even cleaner by swishing about one tablespoon of oil in your mouth for two to ten minutes, then spitting it out either into the toilet or the garbage bin. Proponents claim that this practice can prevent dental caries, improve oral hygiene, decrease oral microbial count, inhibit adhesions of plaque and oral surfaces, reduce gingivitis and halitosis, strengthen oral cavity muscles and jaws, whiten teeth, and improve general health. The preferred oils are sesame or coconut. There were two studies that compared it to chlorhexidine, a more typical mouth wash. Side effects of the chlorhexidine were: taste alteration, numbness in mouth and tongue, pain in the mouth and tongue, xerostomia (oral dryness), and subjective discoloration (perhaps the dye in the mouth wash discolored the teeth for a bit). These attributes of traditional mouth wash have led to many different articles that ponder if using mouthwash is really such a good idea. Some thought the mouthwash contained chemicals tied to diabetes. The studies were small in both the sample size (participants) and the short duration of the study. The oil-pulling has the advantages of being natural, has no side effects, no bacterial resistance, it’s cost-effective, no prescription is needed, it’s safe during pregnancy and not contraindicated for other diseases. Mouthwash was less time- consuming, but the oil- pulling was gentler, a common theme in natural healing methods.
It’s been questioned how oil can be anti-microbial. It turns out that coconut oil contains 92% saturated acids, of which about 50% are lauric acid. Lauric acid has proven
antibacterial and antifungal effects. Evidence shows that coconut oil has a significant
antimicrobial effect against several of the many microbes that live in our mouth: Escherichia vulneris, Enterobacter spp., Helicobacter pylori, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida spp., including C. Albicans, C. glabrata, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, C. stellatoidea, and C krusei. Another study showed it was effective against other strains. A. mutans and C. albicans. The biofilm model was published in Semantic Scholar and concluded it was effective in controlling plaque levels. In some ways this is a “fad”, but in Ayurvedic medicine, it dates back three to five thousand years.
After swishing, thoroughly rinse with water and a do a very soft, conventional teeth brushing. Flossing and scraping the tongue might finish the job. In cases of illness, oil-pulling can be done up to three times per day. Again – there are no side effects but this is not for children. Be careful not to swallow this oil, which could lead to an upset stomach. In rare cases, small particles of the oil might be inhaled. This is lipoid pneumonia. I have been trying it at home using an OTC product that has some mint flavoring and an incredibly soft tooth brush to use after the swishing and spitting is done. It not only feels very clean, but it seems to be helping the chapping and dry lips that I am always prone to in the winter.
This article also pointed out that lack of oral health can be linked to cardiovascular disease, stroke, heart failure, endothelial dysfunction, peripheral artery disease, diabetes, even arthritis or fibro myalgia. The most unfortunate of all the connections the article tried to bring out was mental health. When your mouth hurts, of course you are not going to be a happy person but there is more to it. Periodontal disease can allow oral pathogens to enter the brain via the bloodstream with an impaired blood-brain
barrier. Alzheimer’s and pneumonia sufferers seem to confirm this oral-brain axis link.
-- Male & female bodies are very different. Based on recent mis-information I’d like to again share an article I wrote about in June 2016. “I read the book, The Woman Doctor’s Diet for Women, by Barbara Eidelstein. Written about 1980. The first chapter explains why women usually have a much harder time with weight loss and staying thin compared to men. Did you know muscle burns more calories “just to exist”. Fat is a form of energy storage and burns much fewer calories to sustain itself compared to muscle. Men have about 20% more muscle than women without even trying. Since muscle burns more calories than fat just to maintain itself the math plays out that women burn 10-15 calories per pound of body wright where men burn 17 to 20 doing the same thing. The appetites are identical. In fact, generally women have a larger stomach than men. This may be a provision of nature for when women were pregnant and nursing most of their adult life in order for the human species to survive. Then there are the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. These are naturally fat-storing, fat-hoarding hormones. Testosterone and androgen hormones, however, are radical at breaking fat down for energy as their main function. In regards to nutritional supplements both girls and women are at the highest risk of low intakes of the 11 minerals analyzed like magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese and calcium. Statistics are kept on diseases and their frequency between the males and females. Gallbladder problems seem to happen more to women than men. In the school I went to we were taught to note the four ‘F’s: Female, Fat, over Forty and Fair skinned. This sounds so sexist but the reality of the frequency of it being true in “real life” plays out. Hip dysplasia is far more common in young boys than girls. Perioral dermatitis occurs most often in females age 20-30. Seborrheic dermatitis is most commonly found in males between 20-50. Heart problems have a gender bias. The male heart has a larger right atrium than the female heart. Cardiovascular disease is THE major cause of death in women over 50. One of every three women will die of heart disease. Compared to osteoporosis and hip fractures it is fewer than 2% of women over 65. Boy’s brains are different than girls (not a surprise). The amygdala, which is part of the limbic system involved in emotional processing, especially anger and fear tends to be larger in males.
Perhaps, this may impact why males tend to be more aggressive. The Broca’s area in the brain is the motor area for speech. It processes grammatical structures and word production. This tends to be more highly active in females. The cerebellum is the region of the brain that plays an important role in integration of sensory perception, coordination and motor control. This tends to be larger in the male brain. Couple this with the higher levels of spinal fluid in the male system the messages between the brain and body move more quickly and with less impulse control in males. The cerebral cortex contains neurons that promote higher intellectual functions as in memory and interpretation of sensory impulses. Female brains tend to have more connections between neurons and increased blood flow in this area. Increased processing speed in the female brain may help girls respond to classroom information faster than males. The grey matter and white matter functions differ. Gray matter is made up of the cell bodies of nerve cells. White matter is made up of the long filaments that extend from the cell bodies (like telephone wires) to the neuronal network, transmitting the electrical signals that carry the messages between neurons. Male brains tend to have more grey matter, female brains tend to have more white matter. The impact of that could be female brains tend to move information more quickly from one processing area to another in the brain. Males tend to learn more effectively through task and project focus which a typical classroom situation doesn’t give them. What else? The occipital lobe detects and interprets visual images. The differences are evident in divergent responses to light-sensitivity. Generally, females tend to see better in low light, males tend to see better in bright light. These differences were brought to us via the Gurian Institute, which, using MRI’s and other medical testing instruments found these physical differences. The brains differ. The information can help both genders make the most of their physical capabilities. How one dresses or wears their hair? A trifling. Gender dysphoria doesn’t touch this.”
Pulling your leg… about oil-pulling. It is not a new thing, but recently an article about it caught my eye because it offered more information and better details. First, what is it? Along with brushing and flossing your teeth, you can get your teeth and gums even cleaner by swishing about one tablespoon of oil in your mouth for two to ten minutes, then spitting it out either into the toilet or the garbage bin. Proponents claim that this practice can prevent dental caries, improve oral hygiene, decrease oral microbial count, inhibit adhesions of plaque and oral surfaces, reduce gingivitis and halitosis, strengthen oral cavity muscles and jaws, whiten teeth, and improve general health. The preferred oils are sesame or coconut. There were two studies that compared it to chlorhexidine, a more typical mouth wash. Side effects of the chlorhexidine were: taste alteration, numbness in mouth and tongue, pain in the mouth and tongue, xerostomia (oral dryness), and subjective discoloration (perhaps the dye in the mouth wash discolored the teeth for a bit). These attributes of traditional mouth wash have led to many different articles that ponder if using mouthwash is really such a good idea. Some thought the mouthwash contained chemicals tied to diabetes. The studies were small in both the sample size (participants) and the short duration of the study. The oil-pulling has the advantages of being natural, has no side effects, no bacterial resistance, it’s cost-effective, no prescription is needed, it’s safe during pregnancy and not contraindicated for other diseases. Mouthwash was less time- consuming, but the oil- pulling was gentler, a common theme in natural healing methods.
It’s been questioned how oil can be anti-microbial. It turns out that coconut oil contains 92% saturated acids, of which about 50% are lauric acid. Lauric acid has proven
antibacterial and antifungal effects. Evidence shows that coconut oil has a significant
antimicrobial effect against several of the many microbes that live in our mouth: Escherichia vulneris, Enterobacter spp., Helicobacter pylori, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida spp., including C. Albicans, C. glabrata, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, C. stellatoidea, and C krusei. Another study showed it was effective against other strains. A. mutans and C. albicans. The biofilm model was published in Semantic Scholar and concluded it was effective in controlling plaque levels. In some ways this is a “fad”, but in Ayurvedic medicine, it dates back three to five thousand years.
After swishing, thoroughly rinse with water and a do a very soft, conventional teeth brushing. Flossing and scraping the tongue might finish the job. In cases of illness, oil-pulling can be done up to three times per day. Again – there are no side effects but this is not for children. Be careful not to swallow this oil, which could lead to an upset stomach. In rare cases, small particles of the oil might be inhaled. This is lipoid pneumonia. I have been trying it at home using an OTC product that has some mint flavoring and an incredibly soft tooth brush to use after the swishing and spitting is done. It not only feels very clean, but it seems to be helping the chapping and dry lips that I am always prone to in the winter.
This article also pointed out that lack of oral health can be linked to cardiovascular disease, stroke, heart failure, endothelial dysfunction, peripheral artery disease, diabetes, even arthritis or fibro myalgia. The most unfortunate of all the connections the article tried to bring out was mental health. When your mouth hurts, of course you are not going to be a happy person but there is more to it. Periodontal disease can allow oral pathogens to enter the brain via the bloodstream with an impaired blood-brain
barrier. Alzheimer’s and pneumonia sufferers seem to confirm this oral-brain axis link.
-- Male & female bodies are very different. Based on recent mis-information I’d like to again share an article I wrote about in June 2016. “I read the book, The Woman Doctor’s Diet for Women, by Barbara Eidelstein. Written about 1980. The first chapter explains why women usually have a much harder time with weight loss and staying thin compared to men. Did you know muscle burns more calories “just to exist”. Fat is a form of energy storage and burns much fewer calories to sustain itself compared to muscle. Men have about 20% more muscle than women without even trying. Since muscle burns more calories than fat just to maintain itself the math plays out that women burn 10-15 calories per pound of body wright where men burn 17 to 20 doing the same thing. The appetites are identical. In fact, generally women have a larger stomach than men. This may be a provision of nature for when women were pregnant and nursing most of their adult life in order for the human species to survive. Then there are the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. These are naturally fat-storing, fat-hoarding hormones. Testosterone and androgen hormones, however, are radical at breaking fat down for energy as their main function. In regards to nutritional supplements both girls and women are at the highest risk of low intakes of the 11 minerals analyzed like magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese and calcium. Statistics are kept on diseases and their frequency between the males and females. Gallbladder problems seem to happen more to women than men. In the school I went to we were taught to note the four ‘F’s: Female, Fat, over Forty and Fair skinned. This sounds so sexist but the reality of the frequency of it being true in “real life” plays out. Hip dysplasia is far more common in young boys than girls. Perioral dermatitis occurs most often in females age 20-30. Seborrheic dermatitis is most commonly found in males between 20-50. Heart problems have a gender bias. The male heart has a larger right atrium than the female heart. Cardiovascular disease is THE major cause of death in women over 50. One of every three women will die of heart disease. Compared to osteoporosis and hip fractures it is fewer than 2% of women over 65. Boy’s brains are different than girls (not a surprise). The amygdala, which is part of the limbic system involved in emotional processing, especially anger and fear tends to be larger in males.
Perhaps, this may impact why males tend to be more aggressive. The Broca’s area in the brain is the motor area for speech. It processes grammatical structures and word production. This tends to be more highly active in females. The cerebellum is the region of the brain that plays an important role in integration of sensory perception, coordination and motor control. This tends to be larger in the male brain. Couple this with the higher levels of spinal fluid in the male system the messages between the brain and body move more quickly and with less impulse control in males. The cerebral cortex contains neurons that promote higher intellectual functions as in memory and interpretation of sensory impulses. Female brains tend to have more connections between neurons and increased blood flow in this area. Increased processing speed in the female brain may help girls respond to classroom information faster than males. The grey matter and white matter functions differ. Gray matter is made up of the cell bodies of nerve cells. White matter is made up of the long filaments that extend from the cell bodies (like telephone wires) to the neuronal network, transmitting the electrical signals that carry the messages between neurons. Male brains tend to have more grey matter, female brains tend to have more white matter. The impact of that could be female brains tend to move information more quickly from one processing area to another in the brain. Males tend to learn more effectively through task and project focus which a typical classroom situation doesn’t give them. What else? The occipital lobe detects and interprets visual images. The differences are evident in divergent responses to light-sensitivity. Generally, females tend to see better in low light, males tend to see better in bright light. These differences were brought to us via the Gurian Institute, which, using MRI’s and other medical testing instruments found these physical differences. The brains differ. The information can help both genders make the most of their physical capabilities. How one dresses or wears their hair? A trifling. Gender dysphoria doesn’t touch this.”
