Natural Solutions for Bad Breath

Bad breath! Not a cool subject to discuss, but necessary. I run into someone almost every day who has what I call ‘bowel breath’. It’s so unpleasant. Young kids right to seniors can have bad breath and no one wants to smell it. You’ve got your garlic breath which is temporary and then there’s halitosis which is a more chronic condition.

It’s said that about 50% of the population has bad breath; that’s a lot of people. Bad breath is not only immensely embarrassing, but it could also be a sign of serious health issues.

Causes of Bad Breath

Bad breath is caused by bacteria build-up, sulfur-containing compounds, and yeast and candida overgrowth in the body. Most people think bad breath originates in the stomach, but it comes from the back of the tongue, tonsils, and throat. But, chronic bad breath is usually a symptom of a lurking problem, like poor oral hygiene, bad diet, gum disease, tooth decay, or medical conditions like diabetes. Lack of enough saliva can cause a really unpleasant breath as well.

Contributing Foods

♥ It’s obvious that garlic and onions are bad breath culprits, but that usually fades after a day or two. So use them in moderation.
♥ Fried and High Trans Fat foods take a long time to digest so they’ll produce halitosis.
♥ Smoking and coffee can dry out your mouth and leave a nasty pungent odor.
♥ Sugar drenched foods and drinks coat your teeth. The bacteria in the mouth take advantage of this excess sugars and produce glycan strands, which coat your teeth and gums in thick layers of plaque. This ultimately leads to gum disease, tooth decay, and bad breath.

Natural Solutions

Many assume mouthwash it the solution. They claim to kill bacteria and bad breath effectively, but that’s simply not possible. Plus, many brands of mouthwash contain alcohol—as much as 27% which decreases the flow of saliva, which then causes bad breath.

Oral Care

♥ Make sure you brush your teeth twice daily for two minutes with a natural toothpaste.
♥ Floss all of your teeth well, once a day.
♥ Use a tongue scraper daily.
♥ Use non-alcoholic mouthwashes.
♥ Use essential oils like peppermint, spearmint, myrrh, and cloves to rinse your mouth.
♥ Replace your toothbrush every 2-3 months.

Diet

♥ Drink plenty of water to keep your mouth moist.
♥ Avoid white starches like white rice, bread, etc.; they break down into sugars which yeast and candida feed off.
♥ Eat fermented and probiotic-rich foods; yogurt, sauerkraut, kombucha and coconut kefir.
♥ Eat parsley; it’s rich in chlorophyll which has antibacterial and deodorizing properties.
♥ Eat fennel. Chew a tablespoon of chopped fennel to sweet your breath or drink fennel tea daily.
♥ Included cinnamon in your diet. It contains the essential oil cinnamic aldehyde, which not only gets rid of bad breath, it also reduces the number of bacteria in your mouth.
♥ Cloves pieces are a good alternative. Toss a few in your mouth and suck on them slowly. It will eliminate bad breath quickly.
♥ Go suck a lemon…literally. The acidic content in lemons prevents the growth of bacteria in your mouth. Suck on a slice of lemon, or add a squeezed lemon to a glass of water. Or add one tablespoon of lemon to a glass of water and swish and rinse your mouth.
♥ Eat high fiber foods — they help improve digestion and aid your body in expelling toxins.
♥ Consume healthy fats like coconut oil – but check with your doctor first if you have gallbladder or liver issues.

If you have chronic halitosis, visit your doctor or dentist to rule out any serious health concerns.