----YOU ADS---
Nobody likes bad breath, and it's a powerful way to make a bad first impression. But the good news is that there are relatively simple ways to take care of it. Most of the time, bad breath comes from the gases produced by bacteria accumulating in the mouth, on the gums, teeth and tongue. Many of these gases contain sulfur, which gives them the funky smell.
However, foods you eat can affect your breath too. If you eat foods with strong odors, such as garlic or onions, their smells tend to linger. As your digestive system breaks down food, it enters your bloodstream, an pungent oils in garlic and onions eventually enter the lungs and cause bad breath. Brushing your teeth, eating a mint or using mouthwash covers the smell, but it will not go away completely until the food has left your body.
----YOU ADS---
----YOU ADS---
Nobody likes bad breath, and it's a powerful way to make a bad first impression. But the good news is that there are relatively simple ways to take care of it. Most of the time, bad breath comes from the gases produced by bacteria accumulating in the mouth, on the gums, teeth and tongue. Many of these gases contain sulfur, which gives them the funky smell.
However, foods you eat can affect your breath too. If you eat foods with strong odors, such as garlic or onions, their smells tend to linger. As your digestive system breaks down food, it enters your bloodstream, an pungent oils in garlic and onions eventually enter the lungs and cause bad breath. Brushing your teeth, eating a mint or using mouthwash covers the smell, but it will not go away completely until the food has left your body.
Drink More Water
Saliva, as it turns out, is your body's built-in remedy for eliminating these bacteria, and dehydration is one of the most common causes of bad breath. Many people drink far too little water throughout the day to ward off the bacteria in the mouth that are most responsible for causing bad breath. Tiny microbes in the mouth actually feed on food particles, then release odor-causing byproducts.
Chronic dry dry mouth conditions play a part in the development of bad breath. Dry mouth is caused by the decomposition of dead cells in your mouth and on your tongue. This decomposition results in an unpleasant door.
Green & Black Tea
Green tea has been shown to neutralize some of the compounds in garlic and onions that give breath a bad smell. Green tea also contains catechins that kills bacteria leading to plaque while preventing gum disease, cavities and inhibiting the growth of bacteria leading to more bad breath. In a 2010 study published in the Journal of Dental Research, it was found that tea, especially black tea, fights halitosis, or bad breath, because polyphenols suppress the genes of bacteria that control the production of smelly compounds in the mouth.
Probiotics
Poor gut health is another common cause of bad breath. If your digestive tract is overloaded with toxins, or if antibiotic use and poor dietary habits have left your digestive system in shambles, bad breath could merely be a side effect of another underlying problem.
Equally, if you suffer from constipation or a sluggish digestive system, you are a prime candidate for developing bad breath. The reason for this is that these conditions create an excess of gas in your body, and much of that gas exits through your mouth. Supplementing with probiotic flora or eating more probiotic-rich foods like yogurt, fermented sauerkraut and kombucha tea just might be the remedy. Taking a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar mixed with water prior to eating meals may help your digestive processes run more smoothly.
A study published in the journal Current Opinion in Gastroenterology back in 2011 found that probiotic supplements actually help replace odor-causing oral microbes with beneficial varieties, effectively nipping bad breath in the bud. Other studies have identified specific probiotic strains such as Lactobacillus salivarius that directly target harmful bacterial strains in the mouth, and reduce or eliminate the volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) responsible for causing bad breath.
Fresh Herbs
Chewing on herbs like parsley, cilantro, and mint helps decrease odors caused by a buildup of bacteria. Chewing fresh parsley and mint leaves or drinking mint tea can remove some of the smell from the garlic and onions as well. Dried herbs do not do as good of a job as fresh herbs do, however, dried herbs are helpful in mouth rinses.
Supplement With Zinc
Another common cause of halitosis is a deficiency in the mineral zinc, which helps maintain a clean, bacteria-free mouth. Some mouthwash products actually contain zinc as an active ingredient because the mineral is a known antimicrobial, and aids in the neutralization and elimination of harmful germs. But supplementing with oral zinc and eating more zinc-rich foods like pumpkin and gourd seeds, cacao, and organ meats, for instance, are an even better approach, as it can help address the problem systemically. Zinc deficiency is associated with poor healing, immunity and inflammation.
Coconut Oil Pulling To Reduce Bad Breath
Halitosis is in many cases (not all) caused by the smell of chemicals and gases produced by bacteria in the mouth, so if you get rid of some of the bacteria, you reduce bad breath. In a study of 20 adolescents, oil pulling therapy significantly reduced all markers for bad breath and was just as effective as chlorhexidine mouthwash.
How to Oil Pull
Oil pulling is incredibly simple, safe and very effective.
- Put about a tablespoon of coconut oil in your mouth.
- Swish the oil around your mouth for about 15-20 minutes.
- Spit out the oil, then brush your teeth.
