subject: Natural Remedies To Bad Breath [print this page] Halitosis or bad breath is the unpleasant odor typically caused by stress, hunger, oral dryness or certain lifestyle choices like smoking, eating foods such as onions and garlic and poor oral care.
Causes of Bad Breath
Bad breath may be due to bacteria in the mouth, infection, bad dental hygiene, drugs, gum disease, diabetes, smoking, heavy metal accumulation, sulphur, liver disease, and tooth decay.
Anaerobic bacteria that live within the surface of the throat and tongue produce smelly sulfur compounds when they come in contact with proteins, which cause bad breath
Plaque on the tongue where bacteria grows also causes bad breath. If you do not clean your mouth after tobacco chewing, cigarette smoking, consuming alcoholic drinks and foods (like garlic and onions) it can certainly contribute to bad breath. A deficiency of zinc and/or vitamin B is also a contributing factor for bad breath.
SOLUTIONS
Gargle and rinse Warm salted water as a mouthwash. This will help combat bacteria and also gum infections. Highly recommended by dentists. Always combine this with rudimentary brushing and flossing.
Use baking soda First, apply a teaspoon of baking soda to your toothbrush and proceed brushing your teeth normally. Be careful with this method as baking soda is abrasive and if you use this procedure any more than very occasionally, you could damage the enamel on your teeth. Another option is to add a few teaspoons of baking power in a cup of warm water. Gargle the mixture in your mouth for about a minute and spit it out. Why baking soda? It can stop bacteria from settling by adjusting the ph in your mouth.
Drink plenty of tea This beverage is also capable of stunting sulfur producing bacteria from growing. Catechins, polyphenols, and theaflavins, may sound like names normally found in Greek mythology, but they are actually materials proven by various studies to be quite effective against bacteria growth. This is the reason why tea is the beverage of choice for many bad breath sufferers because it is loaded with these helpful compounds. Drink a few cups of tea daily to keep bacteria at bay and get rid halitosis for good. Also keep in mind that tea has tannins that can cause staining on your enamel.
Eat sugarless yogurt A cup of sugarless yogurt everyday is actually one of the best solutions for bad breath. If your breath smells like rotten eggs, it is an indication that bacteria in the mouth have managed to produce a truckload of hydrogen sulfide, one of the main volatile sulfur compounds that cause constant bad breath. It was discovered by Dr. Kenichi Hojo of Tsurumi University, where a daily serving of sugarless yogurt helped to lower hydrogen sulfide present within the mouth of individuals who are suffering from severe halitosis.
Chewing sugarless gum can help increase saliva production. Saliva is important because it does a good job of washing bacteria away. Halitosis-causing toxins from your blood can be flushed out by green vegetables. The antiseptic properties found in herbs, such as basil, mint and parsley can also do an effective job of eliminating bacteria.
