Bacteria in your mouth from leftover food can create an unpleasant smell if the mouth is not washed correctly. Food like onions and garlic contains certain smelly oils that are transported to the blood. These oils reach the lungs, which are breathed out when talking. Fortunately, some foods have the opposite effect, which fights bad breath. Sometimes bad breath can also happen due to underlying disease; therefore, you should visit an emergency dentist in Glenview, IL, if the bad breath does not go away on its own.
You should include those foods in your diet to help fight bad breath. Make sure to pick your favorite ones from the list below.
Foods that keep your mouth healthy and fight bad breath
- Vegetables and raw fruits
The fibers of fruits and vegetables act like a toothbrush and can keep your mouth clean. Veggies and crunchy fruits like apples, kale, and carrots are full of fiber, causing the mouth to make more saliva when you consume them.
High-fiber veggies and fruits also contain vitamin C, which helps fight bad breath more effectively.
- Yogurt
Eating three ounces of yogurt daily for six weeks can reduce Hydrogen Sulphide by 80%. Hydrogen sulfide is a little unpleasant and smells like rotten eggs. Yogurt is a great food to fight bad breath in numerous ways. Yogurt and other dairy products contain Vitamin D, which reduces the growth of bacteria in the body. Probiotic yogurt containing good bacteria also makes your gut happy.
- Herbs and spices
Before chewing, people nibbled on natural spices and herbs to mask bad breath. One of the great physicians, Hippocrates, also created a mouth rinse made from herbs and wine.
Any herb like spearmint, parsley, or rosemary will work. Rosemarinic acid derived from rosemary can significantly reduce the bad breath of garlic. If you do not like eating rosemary in raw form, make tea by boiling the leaves.
- Tea
Tea is not a food technically, but it has significant odor-fighting properties that cannot be ignored. Both black and green teas contain antioxidants that eliminate bacteria. Tea contains polyphenols that reduce sulfur compounds that lead to bad breath. Drinking too much black tea can cause dry mouth, making the odors worse.
- Sugarless gum
Chewing gum can mask bad breath. Gums can terminate stuck food with repetitive chewing and also promotes saliva production. Extra saliva cleanses the mouth by rinsing away particles.