Odd Cure for Bad Breath

Do you have a problem with bad breath? How about that taste of jungle growth in your mouth in the morning? Here's a very simple, though surprising or odd cure for bad breath.

Drink tea.

Researchers from the College of Dentistry at the University of Illinois, Chicago, say compounds in tea can slow the growth of bacteria in our mouths, which is the primary cause of bad breath. The magic ingredients are antioxidants called polyphenols, and they are found in both green and black teas.

It's the bacteria that live on the back surface of the tongue and in the deep pockets between the gums and teeth that make our breath smell bad. The bacteria "make horrible, smelly stuff," lead study author Christine D. Wu explained to Reuters in an interview. "That's why we get bad breath."

Wu and her colleagues showed in earlier studies that black tea can slow dental plaque formation and help your toothpaste work more effectively. Her latest laboratory experiments have shown that tea's polyphenols not only inhibit three species of bacteria that cause halitosis, but also stop an enzyme that causes the formation of hydrogen sulfide--the ultimate culprit for rotten breath.

But here's the catch: Tea won't sweeten your breath. So don't throw out the mouthwash just yet. "All we can say is that a cup of tea will produce more than enough of these active materials to affect the bacteria," she said. "Remember, this is a lab study. In the mouth, bacteria are protected by all sorts of things."

Bad Breath is Known as Halitosis

The above remedy (drinking tea), probably applies best to the kind of morning breath you have from sleeping with your mouth closed. If your problem is more serious, it would be known as halitosis, which is caused by disease in your gums or teeth. There are some other respiratory tract diseases that could cause bad breath too. It would be best then to get an appointment with a good dentist or specialist. If the dental or health problem can be cleared up, your bad breath is cleared up too.

In extreme cases the odour could come from infected sinuses, or chronic digestive problems (something is rotting down there!) Again, then you should see a specialist. If it's a hint at something deadly you want to nip it in the bud early on, and perhaps extend your life.

On the other hand, if you are reassured that your stinky breath is a minor problem, and it just won't go away, there are a few simple herbal remedies.

Fenugreek Tea

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds in one litre of cold water.

Simmer for 15 minutes, strain, and drink like tea.

Eat Avocados

So I've read. I need to get around to researching this more.

Eat Unripe Guava Fruit

This fruit has tannic acid, malic acid, oxalic acid, and phosphoric acids, also calcium, oxalate, and manganese. Chew the fruit or the leaves from the guava tree to stop your gums from bleeding, as well as bad breath.

Parsley with Cloves

I recall a Danish friend, Lillian, encouraging her family to chew the parsley sprigs she put on her dishes. She said it was for good breath.

You can also make a tea by boiling two cups water with several springs of parsley, chopped coarsely. Add 2 or 3 whole cloves, or a tiny quarter of a teaspoon of ground cloves. Stir this a few times as it is cooling, and strain. Now it is ready to use as a mouthwash or gargle.

Drink Raw Fruit/Vegetable Juices

You can also strive to eat a well-balanced diet with mostly raw seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables and fruits. Eliminate the whites; all the white flour (and things baked with it), white sugar, etc. A truly healthy person doesn't normally have bad breath.

Most Obvious Answer...

Clean your teeth several times a day!

Brush morning and night, and when possible after meals. If not possible, try to munch a raw apple or guava fruit after a meal. If you have crazy pockets where food hides in your teeth, learn to use and carry toothpicks with you. Be discrete enough to go the washroom to pick your teeth, but do it as a matter of hygiene.

Who wants people to wrinkle their nose, and back up when you start talking to them?

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