Some bacteria protect our bodies, others do it harm. If you have bad breath, chances are you have an odour produced by bacteria in your mouth. More difficult situations can be tooth decay or gum infections, but most of the time, it’s something we ate something that didn’t get along with our body.
You should know that the number one, most effective tip on fighting bad breath is very simple! Proper nutrition and regular visits to the dental clinic are a large part of fighting bad breath, but you won’t get anywhere without sufficient amount of water!
With every sip of water, you are rinsing your mouth and refreshing your organism. If you are going to a meeting or a date and you can’t find any bad breath reliever, just drink as much water as you can. A dry mouth only makes the situation worse. Besides water, here are some foods that can get the job done as well:
- Almonds & Other Nuts
Biology research shows how nuts, fruits and vegetables act like toothpaste and prevent the odor-producing bacteria to stain your teeth. However, there are some that cause bad breath instead of fighting it. This is why you should avoid Brazilian nuts and chia or sunflower seeds at all cost!
Apart from these, any other nut out there will contribute in your fight against unpleasant breath. Almonds and fennel seeds are especially efficient. Consult with your nutritionist beforehand to find out the best nuts for you since some people can develop allergic reactions.
- Lemons & Oranges
When it comes to maintaining good health, lemons are a must! Many people don’t like them due to their acidic taste, but one single lemon can save you from colds, flus and yes, even bad breath. To get the best result, squeeze lemon juice in your mouth or eat the peel.
This also applies to oranges as well. So if you have issues with bad breath, a mixture of freshly squeezed lemon and orange would be an amazing start. You can apply ginger and mint to this mixture since these too are bacteria repellents.
- Tea
A very good question! Any day that starts with a cup of tea will turn out to be amazing. Some people even use tea just for rinsing out their mouths or throats. This is especially useful during colds and flus. Suitable teas for rinsing are ginger, parsley and nettle.
These are also beneficial when it comes to fixing bad breath. However, the trophy definitely goes to green tea which always helps with oral detox. A university study proven method, drinking green tea removes many types of oral bacteria.
A very important tip: Remember not to sweeten it in any way since this will reduce its capacities and the wanted results won’t be seen.
- Basil & Parsley
We mentioned how parsley tea can help you relieve unpleasant breath. Well, the effects are much more astonishing when the parsley is fresh and eaten raw. Luckily, it works great in salads, but you can try to chew it as well.
If you think about it, basil and parsley are an important part of Italian cuisine. Why? Well, Italians put garlic everywhere! By adding basil or parsley to the mix, you balance out these nutrients and end up protecting your mouth from an odor disaster.
- Yogurt
Research shows how probiotic (unsweetened) yoghurt fights hydrogen sulfide (cause of bad breath) and reduces plaque buildups. To make a difference, eat a cup of probiotic yoghurt per day.
You cannot add sugar inside, but you can surely add fruit. Besides oranges and lemons, there are other types of fruit that relieve bad breath. If you want to spice up the yoghurt, add either cherries, berries, apples, citrus or melons. But, eating them separately (first a cup of fruit and a cup of yoghurt afterwards) will prove to be the most effective.
