In 80-90 percent of cases, bad breath (Halitosis)is caused by keeping the mouth dirty. An invisible film of bacteria called plaque which is constantly forming in your mouth is responsible for the bad breath.
Bad breath can be a result of bad oral hygiene such as not brushing and flossing your teeth regularly. Eating strong odor foods such as raw onion and garlic can produce bad breath which can't be suppressed by mints and mouthwashes. It can also be caused by some digestion-related problems caused by the food you ate. Respiratory tract infections and other oral infections can also cause bad breath.
Though the kitchen may have contributed to your bad breath, it can also offer many home remedies to get rid of it.
Chewing mint leaves is one such easy-to-access remedy. It has so many other benefits so go ahead and pick up clean mint leaves to chew.
1. Water
Drink a lot of water. Make it a habit of drinking water at regular intervals. Most of the time we don't feel thirsty but we need water so we get dehydrated. Drinking water helps keep bacteria to minimum levels.
If you have bad breath then
- Take a glass full of water at room temperature
- Take a sip and swish the water inside the mouth for 30 seconds
- Spit the water out
- Take another sip and repeat the above process until the entire glass is empty
You will already feel good as your foul smell will be gone if it was due to dehydration
2. Guava
The use of Guava is an excellent way to deal with bad breath. Guava contains tannic acid, malic acid, oxalic acid, and phosphoric acids as well as calcium, oxalate, and manganese. Chewing is an excellent way to prevent bad breath.
- Cut a Guava into small pieces which can easily fit in without a wide opening of the mouth
- Chew each piece slowly
- Chewing processes produces saliva which hydrates the mouth
Chewing guava with its rich mineral contents eliminates bad breath fast.
3. Orange
Saliva helps prevent bad breath. And Citric fruits like oranges stimulate saliva production. Eat one orange each 2-3 times a day. Remember Orange juice on the other hand can cause bad breath. So eat an orange, and don't drink orange juice if you are prone to bad breath frequently.
- take a ripe sweet orange
- peel off the skin of an orange
- eat each wedge by chewing
- make sure that seeds are not eaten
Some oranges are seedless but your chewing action remains the same. If there are seeds then just remove them
4. Breakfast
This is an amazing way to prevent bad breath. People don't realize that their bad breath is simply because there is no saliva production for a prolonged period. As soon as some food is taken the bad breath goes away. So don't miss the breakfast.
So while you have decided to take breakfast why not eat a healthy breakfast? Any preparation of oats with nuts ( Almonds and Walnuts) and yogurt is healthy. There are many other healthy breakfasts so choose your healthy food.
Important is to not skip breakfast.
5. Parsley
Parsley is a very popular herb and is available around the year. Parsley contains antioxidants, and its nutritional and healing properties are well known. The best way to instantly cure bad breath is to chew parsley.
- Wash clean parsley leaves
- Chop and cut to add to any salad of your choice
- eat the salad by chewing slowly
You can also prepare a classic Middle Eastern salad dish called tabouli by combining chopped parsley with bulgur wheat, mint leaves, chopped green onions, lemon juice, and olive oil.
Chewing parsley releases a pleasant aromatic substance in the lungs which helps to prevent bad breath in addition to the saliva production due to chewing.
6. Yogurt
Eating plain yogurt daily for 6 weeks helps to cure chronic bad breath problems. Yogurt fights with the foul smell producing substances.
- Take a cup full of plain organic yogurt
- Don't add anything to it
- Eat small quantities at a time slowly with the help of a teaspoon
Eating yogurt regularly will increase the concentration of good bacteria in your digestive system.
7. Crunchy Fruits and Vegetables
An excellent and instant way to cure bad breath is to eat raw crunchy fruits and vegetables. Apple, carrot, and cucumber are the best and readily available effective crunchy fruits and vegetables. Chewing these fruits and vegetables stimulates saliva release thereby removing bad breath. Learn more about causes, symptoms, and prevention of bad breath in the other related articles: