Chennai these days is littered with hoardings.The large ones have all been taken up by advertisements for saree stores and cell phones, and so the quirky ads have been relegated to occupying the small amount of space on top of bus shelters. Once such advertisement that is all over the city is for a brand of cooking oil, featuring a rather healthy looking film actress suggesting mysteriously that for a healthy life, people should practise oil-pulling. I was consumed by questions. Pulling oil? From where? Is it fun?
Unable to bear the anxiety, I asked my dad what in the world oil-pulling was and he handed me a magazine that featured a six page advertisement on the benefits of oil-pulling therapy. That’s right, therapy. And it is not fun.
The advertisement was not really an advertisement. It was a study on the benefits of oil-pulling commissioned by the oil manufacturer and conducted by a doctor who was featured on the front page of the spread. The results of the study can be summarized thus:
A group of people were asked to take a couple of teaspoons of pure, unadulterated sesame oil, and pour into into their respective mouths. After this, they were asked to swirl the oil in their mouths for a period of fifteen to twenty minutes. Care had to be taken to suck the oil through their teeth.
Eww. The ad continues.
After the ordeal, the survivors were asked to spit the oil – which had become all foamy by now – out. They were then given free bottles of oil and asked to go back home and repeat the process every morning for a period of two months. After the two month period, when the oil pullers were examined, there were some random things that had happened to them and the good things are listed herein.
Based on the results of the study, we state with certainity that oil pulling is an easy way to maintain your health and well-being. [Link, in Tamil]
And so, we recommend that you make oil pulling an integral part of your daily routine. It has the ability to cure several ailments. We recommend that you continue oil pulling until you can eat and sleep well. [Link]
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p>I asked my dad if he’d tried it, and he told me that on the one day he pulled oil, the maid showed up early. Chalk up one more victory for oil pulling. And wait, there is more good news. In another study linked on the website of the oil-maker, someone called F. Karach, MD claims that
[…] that the following illnesses can be effectively healed with the application of oil therapy: headaches, bronchitis, lung and liver conditions, toothache, thrombosis, blood diseases, arthrosis, paralysis, eczema, gastric ulcers, intestinal disorders, heart and kidney ailments, encephalitis, nervous conditions and female disorders. [Link]
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p>Normally, I would’ve concluded my post here after issuing a fervent appeal to readers to throw away their Advil and and buy more oil. But then, this is Sepia Mutiny, so I was obliged to go a step further. This morning, I picked up the phone and called the doctor who conducted the study.
Thanks for talking to me. Can you tell me more about the study?Yes, it was a study conducted on a very small sample. We’ve only listed out the benefits reported by people and we are not sure yet about any side effects. A larger study might be done soon.
Can we use other oils?
Yes, any type of oil should be ok. We only tried sesame oil.
About the therapy itself…
Don’t call it therapy. It is an edible product that possibly provides some benefits.
Why do you think it works?
I don’t know.
Any side effects?
I don’t know. We haven’t done a study large enough to study side effects.
Hmm. So hold on to your Advil then, folks. On another note, I am starting to wonder what benefits of vodka pulling are. It is a far more obvious candidate for someone wanting to design a therapy. You are encouraged to try it and let me know how it goes. And please, do swallow.
mmm, Nalamudan Vazha – OIL PULLING! Thank you, I spent quite some time trying to figure out what on Earth oil pulling meant – I eventually gave up, thinking it had been lost in translation (though I couldn’t fathom what on Earth enney izhutthal might mean). But hey, now that I know it’s enney koppilitthal (oil mouth-rinsing), that makes a hell of a lot more sense! I guess…
But it seems that Idhayam might actually be onto something (?):
I can make like Deepak Chopra and introduce this “therapy” to the western market. I could make tons of $$ and retire to a island right when the Feds get a wind of me. Wait maybe I should introduce Listerine pulling therapy. Guaranteed results!! Claim: Women will find you irresistible in just 3 sessions.
Karthik: Nice post. So, now you are onto investigative blogging?
Talking about hoardings in Chennai. Here are a few that shocked me during my November visit: 1. HDFC’s Ad to get a personal loan to buy your wife Diamond jewelry. 2. Fall(?!) Collections sale at Weekender Also, when we went shopping and asked for Linen shirts they told us that they will be available only in summer..
I also wonder if anybody cares about the correctness of the Arokya milk ads – where they claim that kids drinking whole cream milk will be smarter and healthier.
-Mullai
I’ll stick with wine, rather than sesame oil, to swirl in my mouth and suck through my teeth, thanks.
Although, sesame oil does have its health benefits in terms of providing essential fatty acids. As a cure-all, however, this sounds like snake oil.
saw the same ad all over the place and thought nothing of it. Maybe that is why you are the SM guest blogger 🙁
I can’t wait to see the looks on the faces of American doctors and pharmacists when they find out they’ve been wrong(!) all these years. -gasp-
Whatever in the world is this used as therapy for?? I agree with Maitri…I’d rather swirl wine… 🙂
karthik are u in Madras right now.
I give up… what was Chennai’s old name? Can’t keep all these new (/old?) ones straight. Good thing the Olympics are in good ol’ Turin this year. That proud city still has an English name!
Tilo, no. Was there a couple of weeks back.
it was madras but now it’s சென்னை this when i was in Chennai
stupid tags… lets try this again
I copied and pasted the tamil chennai from wikipedia
and i was surprised to see this when i was in chennai, interesting advertising
Ananthan, that photo…wow. The most fascinating part was that this billboard seems to be sponsored by Amul. As in the “Taste of India” folks. (Then again, it’s not like Amul is looking to market that shnasty concoction it markets as cheese in the U.S. market.)
Perhaps this explains the RSS hoarding I once saw which was sponsored by Cello Pens…?
having recently visited bangalore and gurgaon in a recent trip to india – i saw interesting contrasts in media promotions – some seemed shallow – others clawed on and dug deep – to give you an example of the former – i drove past a “scottish high” school in gurgaon… whose logo is an ‘H’ with a shorter, fatter ‘S’ written over it… write it down in paper in case you dont get why it annoyed me – this logo is displayed 6 foot high characters on the main gable… and smaller versions showing up on the wrought iron gates and the fence – i wasnt sure if the representation was by design or a delicious twist facilitated by the big guy – the audience for the plaid uniforms and the landscaping is definitely the riche, olde and new. My buddy who was driving me around, concurred with my views – added that the brand management for the school was possibly left to a person whose knowledge, while enough to give him tremendous credibility in the regional sense, fell short when it came to global sensibilities.
Pithy comment that. I do believe the global economy has opened doors to high-end sectors within india these days – like advertising, animation, cinematography – and this reflects the global sensibilities in respect to the adverts like the amul hoarding above. Our fellow at scottish high might benefit from a bit of travel though.
a happy sunday to you all and kung hei fat choy.
There’s nothing new with the Amul advert. The mount road/ethiraj salai intersection which houses the amul hoarding has a long history of commenting on all kinds of news. It also usually promotes Amul through a wordplay on the news item itself. It’s updated every week and has a long tradition (>10 years for sure).
me too. You seem to have ‘fans’ there who would have loved to meet up.
I am not sure, If I can comment here, anyways I took the liberty to do just that:-) I live in Chennai and concur with the comments about the hoardings on the benefits of oil pulling. If you are a localite, you will also know that the “Radio Mirchi” and “Suryan FM” stations have a couple of programs that are aired daily that are sponsored by the “oil pulling” guys.
I came across your blog when I was googling some results for the benefits of oil pulling. There are articles from some Russian doctor on the oil pulling therapy.So the specialists at Idhayam might not be the ones that hit upon the therapy afterall.
Heres a link to that article.
http://www.bellary.com/
Mullai, btw, that whole milk ad is another big hoax, IMO. I wonder if they have a doctor conducting “studies” for them. As for fall sales, sigh. If you go now, I am sure they’re advertising winter jackets.
Actually, this isn’t something new. If you’re into the alternative health circles oil-pulling is actually something common. Nice to see it in the open finally.
Dear Dhaavak, Nice cooment on gurgaon hoarding. I wat u to see some of my ad work and comment on it.PLease give me your email Id .Mine is 2006.ranjani@gmail.com
the oil swishing is working wonders , and even the wrinkes on the face ……. that is for the regulars. let them comment. the meditators have started advocating tooo. and so do the god men ( swami nithyandada)
best is join the gang and see more results. MILK IS FOR THE CALF
For all you skeptics… I’m a newly converted oil puller. Chanced upon this website while doing my research. It has shown me amazing results in two days. My sore throat subsided and gums stopped bleeding after just two swish sessions You will find resources on the internet, not tied to any oil industry. I haven’t heard or seen the ad mentioned in the blog.
Its a simple method of detoxing your system…too simple for most to take serioulsy. The reults speak for itself.
Oil pulling has amazing benefits. within 4 days of start, I have observed 90% decrease in Allergic Rhinitis (Sinusitis) attack. The white layer on my tounge has disappeared. Gums are firm and I feel a sense of calm in my whole body. Though I am experiencing bit of Fever…but I think its due to the detoxification that is going on.
Does anyone know if this would work for arthritis?
yes i read somewheree on the internet that oil pulling helps heal arthritis
I have been oil-pulling for 10 days now . I can’t believe how well it works . My teeth look like I just got the best whitening job ever .In addition my tounge and gums are back to being pink again like when I was younger . In addition to junk that I usualy feel is present somehow in the mouth and teeth feels like its gone .
My engery levels have increased in just 10 days .I feel calmer and my mood is good for a change . I had trouble sleeping for years now and I just started going into a deeper more relaxed sleep .My husband just started it because he looked at my teeth and couldn’t believe how white they were . Immediately my husband started feeling better and told me his teeth felt clean . Also my husbands pain in his hip has lesson by 50% in just 3 days .I don’t know how this stuff works but its working .
yeah i heard about oil pulling i planned to try it but in our city oil pulling pack is not available if we ask shop keeper they are sayign that the prduct is now stopped by the company . it is better taht idhayam com[any starts an exlysive shop only for idhayam products in all the cities in Tmail Nadu so ppl get benefitted
I been oil swishing for a year now and I no longer suffer the pain of lichen planus which is an auto immune disorder that affects the gums. My specialist said the disease is still present but I don’t suffer from the affects of it — and it does naturally whiten teeth and I use safflower oil. It’s amazing how much better you feel!