Oil pulling

[QStik]

Gives a whole new meaning to 'Now show us those shiners!'  

[Kitiara]

Gidday, Jack.
I'm glad you are now shiny and well lubricated.
It is cheering to hear of your success.

[St. Jimmy]

Truly enjoy this group and topic. The scientist in me feels a need to respond:

St Jimbo said "we need to make the observation blind...: ...control group...the independent observer cannot know which group (s)he is observing: oil (test) or non-oil (control)...the attribution of test subjects to test or control group must be randomised...That's valid science."

Right ON Jim! Breath of fresh air!  

I'd certainly rather breath fresh air than oil.

[kebod]

Nero, while you wait for pictures (no, it never occured to me to take a photo of my yellow teeth before I knew of or experienced oil pulling) a good number of us are seeing positive results.

My husband came up to me the other day to show me all the brown hair that had appeared in his formerly silver sideburns. When I checked the back of his head, there was a significant amount of newly returned brown hair, where he had been totally silver. (No, I don't have pictures). Then he says, "And I've been meaning to ask you if you are coloring your hair. You have less gray hair also."  He was right. I had noticed it myself in the mirror, but couldn't quite accept that oil pulling could do this as well. I posted this on the oil pulling forum, and discovered I wasn't the only one seeing that gray can lessen and color return after several months of OP.

I'm not a scientist -- I can just accept this based on the changes I see and feel. My husband is a former chemist. He accepts these positive health changes, and is glad that we can feel better without FDA approved chemicals.

It's OK, Nero, to try something new without it being published in a scientific journal. It doesn't have to be approved by Merck or Pfizer first.
If you wait for them, you're going to wait a very long time. Where's the money to be made from common vegetable oil?

kebod

[snooziums]

Lead, mercury, and other harmful metals and toxins can build up our systems to dangerous levels and also applies to all animals. That's why you should not eat carp and very little Tuna.

Interesting.  Thanks to our modern water filtration systems, there are lower amounts of metals in our drinking water than in the past when most people drank unfiltered well water or stream water.  So if heavy metals are a "problem" now, they sure must have been a problem back in the day.

As for the fish part, as long as the fishing is at least 10 miles out to see, there should be just about no heavy metals in it.  Only if the fishing is done right next to a factory runoff (like the cases in the 1960s in Japan) is this a serious issue (and most fishing now is not done next to a factory anymore).

What the liver can not filter out properly can be released in other ways and sweating is a good example. After a deep sweat, which comes after 20 minutes of continuous perspiration, has shown to contain heavy metals, pestacides and the like.

It would seem that sweating out toxins would be worse then letting them pass through one's system.  If toxins are being sweated out, then they are passing through quote a bit of the body.

That is why studies have shown that people who exercise moderately AND use a sauna(which is great for deep sweating)  have almost as low cancer rates as long-distance runners who also deep sweat.

What about those that exercise are in better health, and that is the reason why they have low cancer rates?  Or how about those that exercise usually do not eat as much "junk food" as others would?

Our bodies function wonderfully but not perfectly. We naturally release pain killers into our blood stream but sometimes we need to take an aspirin. Our bodies naturally fight off infection and heal burns but we may also need aloe vera. Both aloe and aspirin are plant based remedies.

Actually, most over-the-counter medications are "plant-baised" remedies.  The plants are just processed, that is all.

As to the subject of oil pulling, what if it is really doing the same thing as those "whiteners" or "white strips" are doing?

Just some thoughts.

[Molly Bloom]

I know this forum is all about validation through scientific data, but I'd like to challenge all in the forum to try this.

For god's sake, it's only oil...it's food.  What the heck can it hurt you, eh?

Instead of blathering endlessly about double blind studies, scientific proof, medical testimony what in the heck would be wrong with swishing a bit of oil around your mouth?   No one is asking you to take drugs, or herbs or supplements of any kind.

Hey, I live with the ORIGINAL skeptic (In fact, he was an active participant on this forum for many years), and the man is Oil Pulling every day...even took oil on his last business trip.  Why?  Because he avoided gum surgery.  Because his teeth ARE whiter (has been commented on by co-workers and non-immediate family members), because he used to have bad breath, and no longer does, and because the first week of pulling his 3 years of acid indigestion seemed to disappear....

Perhaps the Ayurvedics of some 5,000 years knew a thing or two.  Perhaps some of those "grandma" remedies actually did (and do still) work....heck perpermint tea for tummy problems, chicken soup for colds...duh.   I won't even tell you that putting egg whites on one's feet during fever will lower the temp by 2 degrees within 20 minutes, because I'm sure you'll all laugh your butts off....but I bet the next time someone has a really bad fever in your family, you'll remember that  little gem...way in the back of your mind...Ha!

Try the oil pulling.  I want to hear from every one of you how stupid it is after about 2 weeks.

Any nut or seed oil.  Do not use peanut, soy or canola.

[snooziums]

Perhaps the Ayurvedics of some 5,000 years knew a thing or two.

The "Ayurvedics"?  I wonder if this is referring to "Ayurveda," which was some system of taking care of health in India.  From what I can gather, Ayurveda dates back to about 500 B.C.E.

Many Ayurvedic practitioners were quote often using Mercuric-sulphur combination based medicines.  Does not sound too healthy there.

I wonder if I should take the advice and drink mercury, someone in ancient times thought it was the elixir of life.  What is the worse that can happen?  Dieing of mercury poisoning?  At least I can say I did it "for science."

From this link: http://www.toddcaldecott.com/pdf%20file ... er_one.pdf According to Charaka, "life" itself is defined as the "combination of the body, sense organs, mind and soul, the factor responsible for preventing decay and death, which sustains the body over time, and guides the processes of rebirth."

How the heck would it help the process of "rebirth"?  Hmm...

Note to self:  Reincarnate into a society that is more "modern" than this.  Or at least reincarnate into one that drinks high dosesses of mercury, and have that life be short.

Also part of Ayurveda: Shirodhara is a form of Ayurveda medicine that involves gently flowing liquids over the forehead (the 'third eye').

Yay!  I can be preserved in candle wax!  Sigh me up!

Perhaps some of those "grandma" remedies actually did (and do still) work....heck perpermint tea for tummy problems, chicken soup for colds...duh.   I won't even tell you that putting egg whites on one's feet during fever will lower the temp by 2 degrees within 20 minutes, because I'm sure you'll all laugh your butts off....but I bet the next time someone has a really bad fever in your family, you'll remember that  little gem...way in the back of your mind...Ha!

Yes, some of the "old remedies" might have worked a bit in some cases.  However, we have modern medicine that is much more effective, and has undergone case studies.  If I need to lower my body temperature by a couple of degrees, I will try an ice pack, less messy than a couple of egg whites on my feet.

[Molly Bloom]

Hmm....do you put mercury on your salad?  I don't think that would be very tasty, now would it?  But you most likely are eating it with your Tuna...

It's Oil, not mercury.  Try it, then nah-say it.

[snooziums]

I don't think that would be very tasty, now would it?  But you most likely are eating it with your Tuna...

I was referring to the Ayurvedic practice of mercuric-sulphur combination based medicines, which they used.  As for tuna, most tuna is fished out in the open ocean, where there are no mercury levels near the water surface where the tuna reside.  Only of the tuna is fished in an inland sea with a factory near it is this a problem.

As for mercury tasting bad, I thought that mercury was tasteless.  I tried to look up any article of anything about the "taste of mercury," but I found nothing.  Darn it!  Now I am curious what mercury tastes like!

[Old Jack]

Gidday

 However, we have modern medicine that is much more effective, and has undergone case studies.  

Bloody hell; mate do you really belive that statement.

Funny how, the health system in America, the most advanced scientificly country in the world, actually kills more ZAmericans every year than the Vietnam war managed to kill in it's entire duration, and that's from their statistics.

Yeah, ewe jokers are so bloody skeptical about every bloody thing except conventional science that has done nothing but stuff ups.  And if you dispute that fact, how come it's always changing and coming up with things that are so call new.

[Pyrrho]

Simple test: eliminate hospitals and doctors, then count up the dead for a while, and compare.

The health care system is not perfect, that is true, however, there are also no miracle cures out there among the folk remedies. To put it another way, oil pulling won't help acute appendicitis, and although I am sure it is not intended to treat such things, my example is intended to show that despite the vast claims of "alternative" remedies, there are medical conditions that cannot be treated by "alternatives", nor prevented, either. People can ingest all the folk remedies known to humanity and still succumb to ailments such as Stage IV lung cancer...or tuberculosis, smallpox, polio, HIV, influenza, syphilis, and so on.

It's easy, in modern society, with modern hygienic practices and modern medicine available, to claim that folk remedies can prevent illness. Try it out in some district where people have no access to clean water, enough food, or sewage treatment, and no doctor for miles, and see what happens.

[Major Malfunction]

Many GPs are hacks. Most, in my experience. If you can find a good one, recommend him to me!

[Kitiara]

Jim, Slippery Elm Bark is for appendicitis. You must take it before the problem gets critical, though. It is for any inflammation in the digestive tract, inc. sore throat. It is a good idea to see that you do not get dehydrated, and that you do not overload your liver with fats, as well.
Nice new avatar.

[kebod]

Jack, here is the actual number:

"An average of 195,000 people in the USA died due to potentially preventable, in-hospital medical errors in each of the years 2000, 2001 and 2002, according to a new study of 37 million patient records that was released today by HealthGrades, the healthcare quality company. "

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medical ... wsid=11856

Western medicine, aside from being about the most expensive in the world, and therefore unaffordable by many (in the US), is not perfect.

Of course it has achieved much and has a lot to offer. But so do other health practices, such as Ayurvedic medicine. I'm sorry that our culture is unwilling to take the best from many different health philosophies. Accupuncture (from Tradtional Chinese Medicine) can work miracles for pain and other ailments. It is proven and has made a difference for my husband's chronic back pain.

Why are we so hung up on being only able to accept western medicine approved by the FDA (an imperfect agency itself)? Could it be a type of brainwashing in that it is all we have ever known, therefore it is all that is correct, and what we do not know is not correct?

kebod

[JJM]

{snip} I'm sorry that our culture is unwilling to take the best from many different health philosophies. Accupuncture (from Tradtional Chinese Medicine) can work miracles for pain and other ailments. It is proven and has made a difference for my husband's chronic back pain. {snip}
kebod

Do you have any reliable evidence supporting your claims for Ayurveda or TCM?  (Note- anecdotes about your husband are not evidence.)  Unfortunately, our "culture" is more and more willing to take the best from other "health philosophies;" but those who do are being bamboozled.  Although philosophy is interesting- it has nothing to do with reality.  

Reality is what prevails despite philosophy.

[NeroXIV]

Nero, while you wait for pictures (no, it never occured to me to take a photo of my yellow teeth before I knew of or experienced oil pulling) a good number of us are seeing positive results.

We don't believe you.

My husband came up to me the other day to show me all the brown hair that had appeared in his formerly silver sideburns. When I checked the back of his head, there was a significant amount of newly returned brown hair, where he had been totally silver. (No, I don't have pictures).

We don't believe you.

Then he says, "And I've been meaning to ask you if you are coloring your hair. You have less gray hair also."  He was right. I had noticed it myself in the mirror, but couldn't quite accept that oil pulling could do this as well. I posted this on the oil pulling forum, and discovered I wasn't the only one seeing that gray can lessen and color return after several months of OP.

I'm not a scientist -- I can just accept this based on the changes I see and
feel.

Neither am I; but why would I accept changes I don't see?

He accepts these positive health changes, and is glad that we can feel better without FDA approved chemicals.

Olive oil is an FDA approved chemical.

It's OK, Nero, to try something new without it being published in a scientific journal. It doesn't have to be approved by Merck or Pfizer first.
If you wait for them, you're going to wait a very long time. Where's the money to be made from common vegetable oil?

The "alternative medicine" scam artists will find a way. Homeopaths already sell an ounce of pure water for $10.

[NeroXIV]

Yeah, ewe jokers are so bloody skeptical about every bloody thing except conventional science that has done nothing but stuff ups.  

Good day to you, Mr. Jack. Did your mother teach you to call people names when you have nothing intelligent to say?
And are you implying that metaphysics gets credit for allowing you to sneer at people half a world away?

And if you dispute that fact, how come it's always changing and coming up with things that are so call new.

Try to be coherent if you want to post here.

[kebod]

Nero,

Are you saying that olive oil is approved by the FDA for medicinal use?

You may not believe me, and I don't expect everyone to, but some here are obviously willing to try this and are seeing good results for themselves.

Do you think this is one big conspiracy (Old Jack and I don't know each other) for the sake of fooling some, or rather an effort to share something inexpensive that has wonderful benefits?

If you and I were friends, I would want to share this with you. Perhaps if you knew of something really good (and we were friends) you would share it with me. We don't know each other, but I still had to enter this forum to correct fallacies and doubts about oil pulling. This is all I am doing. My goal is only to share a method I have found that has great benefits and has made a positive difference for my health. If this means less dollars spent on doctors and drugs, I count myself fortunate. I have nothing to gain by misrepresenting myself or oil pulling.

kebod

http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/oil_pulling.html

[NeroXIV]

Nero, Are you saying that olive oil is approved by the FDA for medicinal use?

Yes, for reducing the risk of coronary heart disease. FDA

You may not believe me, and I don't expect everyone to, but some here are obviously willing to try this and are seeing good results for themselves.

Are you willing to try Rumpology? I am accepting clients.

Do you think this is one big conspiracy ...?

No, I think it's just quotidian woo-woo.

If you and I were friends, I would want to share this with you.

Like those Jesus people?

My goal is only to share a method I have found that has great benefits and has made a positive difference for my health.

What steps did you take to reduce confirmation bias, the placebo effect, the reinterpretation effect, regression to the mean, and other confounding factors?

[St. Jimmy]

Any nut or seed oil.  Do not use peanut, soy or canola.

Why not?! Have you "just tried" those as well? Sounds an awful lot like nay-saying to me.

[NeroXIV]

http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/oil_pulling.html

That website claims oil pulling cures cancer, AIDS and leukemia.
Kebod and others claim it just whitens teeth.
Mater Deum says it helps digestion.
Why don't you all work it out amongst yourselves, decide what it is you are treating, then present us with a falsifiable claim and/or evidence.

[kebod]

Nero, Olive oil is not approved by the FDA for oil pulling.  Nor is oil pulling, for that matter.

Rumpology...very good... thanks for my laugh for the day. I had not heard of this before. Is this an polite way to moon someone?  

"Like the Jesus people". I can see that no matter what I say to you, unless I agree with you, you will pick it apart. Perhaps you have never experienced a friend sharing something wonderful with you, nor do you practice this yourself, so you don't know that this is done by many people, not just myself and the Jesus people.

Are skeptics open-minded, or is being a skeptic and being open-minded  mutally exclusive?

kebod

[NeroXIV]

http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/oil_pulling.html

Some other gems from that website:

"According to Ayurvedic medicine, mucous [sic] is a poison that must be removed."
Right....

"the tongue is mapped by organ-locations — that is, each section of the tongue is connected to the kidneys, lungs, spleen, liver, heart, pancreas, small intestines, stomach, colon, and spine."
Sure....

"A worsening of symptoms is an excellent indication that the disease/ailment is being cured."
So if you get better, the stuff works. If you get worse, the stuff works! How cool!

Alternative medicine is for IDIOTS.

[NeroXIV]

Nero, Olive oil is not approved by the FDA for oil pulling.  Nor is oil pulling, for that matter.

Nor did anyone say it was.

Rumpology...very good... thanks for my laugh for the day.

You're welcome! It's not as funny as oil-pulling though.

I can see that no matter what I say to you, unless I agree with you, you will pick it apart.

Umm, yeah, that's called a discussion!

Perhaps you have never experienced a friend sharing something wonderful with you, nor do you practice this yourself, so you don't know that this is done by many people, not just myself and the Jesus people.

And the Moonies, and the Jehovahs, and the Mormons, the Muslims, the gurus, the "Secret" people, Jim Jones, Ramtha, Wayne Dyer, the Baghwan and Marshall "Do" Applewhite. Everyone's got something wonderful to share. Or to trade you for your soul anyway.

Are skeptics open-minded, or is being a skeptic and being open-minded  mutally exclusive?

Is that a rhetorical question? Because it certainly has been discussed ad nauseum.

[JJM]

Yo! Kebod!  I asked you before-

Do you have any reliable evidence to back any of your claims?  You can cite random web pages till you turn blue- the question remains- do you have any reliable evidence in peer-reviewed medical literature?  

I will go out on a limb, here, and suggest that the answer is "no" because nobody else can substantiate your notions, either.

[JJM]

Nero,

If you don't think Rumpology is as funny as oil-pulling- you need to see my rump.  I mean, Rumpology is all fun and games- till someone loses a rump.  Then you find out how serious one's rump is.  

I once knew a guy who did not have a rump; he always had to hold up his pants with one hand.  We fixed the door lock such that he had to use both hands to open the door.  It was cruel humor to watch his trousers drop to his knees.  

BTW, for oil-pulling- in the winter I recommend 5-30 oil; be sure to switch to 20-50 when the weather turns hot.

[kebod]

No, I have no scientific evidence.

I hope the day comes when this is researched and reviewed. However, I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for that day, as this is an ancient practice from India, and our western culture does not readily take to concepts from non-western countries. Also - and this is the bigger reason -- there is no money to be made here. Why would Merck spend thousands of dollars researching something from which they do not stand to make millions? They can already make millions for all the drugs that relieve many of these symptom that oil pulling can relive.  

In the meantime, I am sleeping so soundly, after a life time of insomnia, my facial wrinkles have diminished by at least 50% (I suspect there is oil passing in, as well as toxins passing out, to account for greater skin lubrication), my gums no longer bleed when I floss, the whitish coating that was on the back of my tongue is almost gone, my teeth are beautifully white (if it was just a matter of being shiny because they were oily, tooth brushing would remove that), my gums are tight and pink (as I had periodontal surgery years ago, healthy gums are a concern to me), my joint aches have ended 100% --no more ibuprofin to help me go to sleep.  

I don't need a scientific journal to tell me to keep on with oil pulling, that yes, there is some merit to it. I can make up my own mind.

On the oil pulling forum http://curezone.com/forums/f.asp?f=738,
there are efforts to explain how this works, as there is no research.
Here is a copy of a recent explanation from a fellow oil puller:

"I have done a microscopic assessment. I have found some interesting bacteria. They "appear" to be of the gram neg. kind. They are coccus and small. But they appear to be active {or} pathogenic. I have also found yeast-type cells, and a few oocysts[surprised they are surviving in oil]. Most rod bacteria--the ones present-- looked inactive. They were long and splinter like. And the rest were run-of-the-mill epithelial and plasma cells, as well as normal bacteria.

gram negative = a classification of bacteria based simply on whether or not they pick up a stain commonly used to prepare slides. Indicates nothing except how his slide was prepared.

coccus = describes the shape of some kinds of bacteria. Round, ball-like, SOME of which are harmful to humans (not all). This group includes the bacteria that create most skin and throat infections, commonly known as staph and strep. Presence in the mouth is not remarkable - the mouth is an open invitation to anything microscopic - a biologically inviting place for anything living to land. A three-star resort, if you will. (Dry mouth/less saliva makes it a four-star resort)

active = alive
pathogenic = disease causing
oocysts = parasite eggs
rod bacteria = a description of the form - shaped like a rod. Usually found in soil. (? May be wrong on that count, I'm going from memory)

epithelial cells = cells from the skin (the cells lining the mouth come off easily)

plasma cells = these ARE from the bloodstream, and quite possibly the most important part of his post. Plasma is the clear part of blood, and leaks through blood vessels to bathe all the cells of your body. It is circulated through the lymph system (the tonsils of which are part) and filtered in the lymph glands, which removed dead cells, bacteria, and cancer cells."

Here is the link to the above:
http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=756813#i

I realize this will not satisfy those who want a peer-reviewed article in a science journal, nor is it meant to. It is just an effort by a group of oil pullers to understand this themselves. I respect the fact that many of you want to see the scientific evidence first. Please respect the fact that I present this to you honestly and with the best of intentions.

In the meantime, I'm feeling better than I have in years. It's wonderful to have a spring in my step, more energy and well-being, and not have to pay for an expensive prescription drug.

For the person who asked for proof about acupuncture relieving pain, please read this article from the Washington Post. This study was partially funded by the National Institute of Health:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/ar ... Dec20.html

kebod

[NeroXIV]

Try the oil pulling.  I want to hear from every one of you how stupid it is after about 2 weeks.

My sister tried it for two weeks. It didn't do anything for her. It's stupid.

[NeroXIV]

... this is an ancient practice from India, and our western culture does not readily take to concepts from non-western countries.

What exactly about oil-pulling makes it hard to study?

Also - and this is the bigger reason -- there is no money to be made here.

Yeah, you said that. And it's still not true.

I don't need a scientific journal to tell me to keep on with oil pulling, that yes, there is some merit to it. I can make up my own mind.

Well, if you have children, and they have unhealthy gums, I hope you would consider finding legitimate and effective treatment for them. After all, they are at your mercy.

In the meantime, I'm feeling better than I have in years. It's wonderful to have a spring in my step, more energy and well-being, and not have to pay for an expensive prescription drug.

The mind is a wonderful drug.

For the person who asked for proof about acupuncture relieving pain, please read this article from the Washington Post. This study was partially funded by the National Institute of Health:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/ar ... Dec20.html

That article hardly makes a good case for acupuncture.

[kebod]

The question is not what, but why, for which I gave the reason. Perhaps you choose to ignore it:

"there is no money to be made here."

I heard on NBC national news that pharmaceutical companies spend more money on marketing than they do on research. Their primary concern is the bottom line, the profit margin.

I do have an adult child. He started oil pulling several months ago. He was so pleased to see his skin condition, Keratosis Pilaris (for which there is no medical cure) 80% diminished, that he said he will do this for the rest of his life.

I guess the article on acupuncture could not make a good case for a skeptic, but what could...

Here are some quotes from the article that you chose to ignore:

Acupuncture alleviates pain and improves movement for elderly people suffering from arthritis in their knees, according to a major federally sponsored study released yesterday.

and:

"Arthritis is a major public health problem, and our study shows that acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment," said Brian Berman, director of the University of Maryland Center for Integrative Medicine, who led the study. "I think there is sufficient evidence now to say this is no longer unproven."

Yes, the article says the improvements are modest. Would you rather take Vioxx and Celebrex, both approved by the FDA, but now found to have serious side affects? And both, I have no doubt, have already made millions of dollars for their makers.

You are unable to accept the idea that some people have the will and ability to take their health care into their own hands, and that there exist effective methods they can use that aren't mainstream medicine.

And as long as you are calling Old Jack on his language, how about your refraining from sarcasm. Sarcasm is a way of sticking it to someone, jabbing them. Really, rump reference is not going to further what could be an intelligent, polite discussion. It's rather juvenile. Face-to-face, we tend to be civil when we talk to each other. With the anonymity of the internet, it is tempting and easy to be sarcastic and rude. You introduced it and JJM ran with it, not being able to contribute anything intelligent to the discussion.

No, that was not a rhetorical question, but was your query an effort to side-step an answer as to whether skeptics can be open-minded? Just wondering.

kebod

[Pyrrho]

The people who take Vioxx and Celebrex are usually in severe pain, somewhere around 7 or 8 on the typical 1-10 pain scale. Such people are often desperate. Yes, the drugs exhibit what is possibly a detrimental class effect that must be dealt with. No, that does not validate any given "alternative" therapy. Any given therapy must be validated on its own merits.

Does acupuncture relieve severe pain? Where can we see the clinical data?

Can oil pulling prevent osteoarthritis? Where can we see the clinical data?

[Pyrrho]

Jim, Slippery Elm Bark is for appendicitis. You must take it before the problem gets critical, though. It is for any inflammation in the digestive tract, inc. sore throat. It is a good idea to see that you do not get dehydrated, and that you do not overload your liver with fats, as well.
Nice new avatar.

Really...does slippery elm bark have antibiotic properties? Appendicitis is an infection, not an inflammation--inflammation is not necessarily the result of infection, nor is it the same thing.

[kebod]

Jim, see my first sentence of the posting at 9:27 pm.

Nero and the others, I will bow out and let you return to discussing amongst each other the evils of anything not connected to Big Pharma. You can pat yourselves on the back for successfully resisting a new idea.

I never intended to convert anyone, just to defend a very effective healing method. But remember, if in the future you have the twinges of beginning arthritis or bleeding gums, relief is as close as your kitchen cupboard.

Adios,

kebod

[NeroXIV]

No, that was not a rhetorical question, but was your query an effort to side-step an answer as to whether skeptics can be open-minded? Just wondering.

OK:
Yes, skeptics can be open-minded.
(If you want evidence, tell us what sort of evidence you would need and we'll see what we can do.)

[NeroXIV]

And as long as you are calling Old Jack on his language, how about your refraining from sarcasm. Sarcasm is a way of sticking it to someone, jabbing them. Really, rump reference is not going to further what could be an intelligent, polite discussion. It's rather juvenile. Face-to-face, we tend to be civil when we talk to each other. With the anonymity of the internet, it is tempting and easy to be sarcastic and rude.

If I was rude, I apologize. I'll try not to be sarcastic. However, I do think the parallels between rumpology and any other so-called alternative medicine are apt. The only difference is the spirit in which they were devised. It's the same thing as Flying Spaghetti Monster. He's really no less ridiculous than Yahweh or Allah.

[NeroXIV]

You are unable to accept the idea that some people have the will and ability to take their health care into their own hands, and that there exist effective methods they can use that aren't mainstream medicine.

The website you sent us to claims that oil-pulling cures cancer and AIDS. Do you agree with this claim?

[Molly Bloom]

However, I can attest to the soft tissues of the mouth.  Gum disease being the optimum improvement.  Loss of sensitivity of the teeth and gums within 2 days of  pulling.  Fantastic dental visits, very little cleaning of plaque, pockets in gums reducing by more than half, dental hygenists asking...what are you doing?   Yep, there are many of those (Including moi and hubby).

Yes, oil pulling sounds weird and wacky.  We all agree with that.  But you just can't argue with real people getting real results.  It is one of the leading dental health initiatives in India (I assume a place where there is little dental care).  It's advertised on the sides of buses.  

So, will this cure cancer?  Hell, I dunno.  But as a dental regime, I'd say very superior in many respects.

It's up to you guys.....What's a little bitta oil gonna do to you?  Might be amazing, and you will totally have lost out.  Too bad, so sad.

Love and Kisses, Molly

[NeroXIV]

However, I can attest to the soft tissues of the mouth.  

"However, ...?" What a strange way to start a post.

Gum disease being the optimum improvement.

That's supposed to be a sentence?

Loss of sensitivity of the teeth and gums within 2 days of  pulling.

And how much crystal meth were you doing?

Yes, oil pulling sounds weird and wacky.  We all agree with that.  But you just can't argue with real people getting real results.

Got pictures?

It is one of the leading dental health initiatives in India (I assume a place where there is little dental care).  It's advertised on the sides of buses.

Ah, the sides of buses. All around the world, you just can't beat 'em for all your medical facts.

It's up to you guys.....What's a little bitta oil gonna do to you?  Might be amazing, and you will totally have lost out.  Too bad, so sad.

Well, like I said, my sister did it and it didn't help. What do you say to that?

[Molly Bloom]

Did not know I was being graded on my grammar....is that part of the skeptic way?  Or is that what is resorted to as a last gasp....

Hey, don't know what to say about your sister, but sometimes you don't get the magic bullet effect.  Sometimes you have to wait until that dentist appointment.  Perhaps your sister was not  using the right oil?  

Seems you are basing all your beliefs on one person.

I'll meet you when we are 80 and we can share a couple of ears of corn, but I won't be gumming mine.

Can't show you my before and after photos as I had no idea oil was going to do the whitening effect on my teeth.  I'm not willing to stop just for a photo op.

I live with the king of skeptics.  He's been oil pulling for a year now.  How about that?  My cynical husband beats out your sister....

Eat Oil, Wear Oil, Swish Oil...

Molly

[NeroXIV]

Did not know I was being graded on my grammar....is that part of the skeptic way?  Or is that what is resorted to as a last gasp....

Your grammar reflects your logic. Anyway, it's easier to discuss statements that are made coherently.

Hey, don't know what to say about your sister, but sometimes you don't get the magic bullet effect.  Sometimes you have to wait until that dentist appointment.  Perhaps your sister was not  using the right oil?  

She was using sunflower oil. Anyway, you asked:
"I want to hear from every one of you how stupid it is after about 2 weeks."
Would you like to change that request? Perhaps to:
"I want to hear from every one of you how stupid it is after about 2 weeks.  Or longer. Or after you've had a dental check-up. Or after it works, preferably. Tell me it worked, so I can say, 'see, it worked!'"

Seems you are basing all your beliefs on one person.

How many are you basing it on? Two?

I live with the king of skeptics.  He's been oil pulling for a year now.  How about that?  My cynical husband beats out your sister....

So, it only works for certain people?