Do you like having your
burger with raw onions? Do you enjoy a nice slice of garlic bread with your Caesar
salad? Onions and garlic can both make your food taste better, but they also
come with a price – bad breath. These two are the most common foods that cause
bad breath; they contain sulfuric compounds that can promote the growth of some
microbes in your mouth that already cause bad breath. If you’re a fan of
garlic, you have probably noticed that even after brushing your teeth or
rinsing your mouth some of the bad odor remains. Why? The sulfuric compounds
found in garlic become metabolized, and ultimately make their way into your
blood stream. During the digestive process, allyl methyl sulfide is passed
through the bloodstream, and this is the main reason for the smell. Once this
sulfuric compound is in your blood stream, it passes through a variety of excretions
in the body, including pores. The compound also gets into the air that fills
your lungs. As you breathe, the air goes into your lungs and is mixed and
contaminated with the allyl methyl sulfide. So, even if you rinse your mouth or
brush your teeth, the smell will not necessarily go away; it is not just coming
from your mouth. Even if your oral care may be good, the smell is coming from your body.
Fortunately,
just as some foods can cause bad breath, others can mask it. They can’t get rid
of the smell for good, but they do have a great temporary affect on hiding the
smell! One of the most commonly known foods that can temporarily mask the odor
is parsley; the trick is in the oils found in parsley. Parsley is also a good
source of chlorophyll, which is a compound that has anti-bacterial properties. Apart
from parsley, other herbs or spices can also mask the smell. Some of these odor
fighting foods are spearmint, cinnamon, coriander, cilantro, tarragon,
eucalyptus, cardamom, and rosemary.
Another
factor that helps is green tea. Green tea contains antioxidants like
polyphenols that destroy sulfuric compounds. Green tea also contains catechin,
another antioxidant that can fight off bacteria.
Yogurt
is also very good for hiding bad mouth odors. The live active cultures in
yogurt help diminish bad breath. Yogurt has probiotics, which are “good
bacteria”, and can fight the “bad bacteria” that causes the smell. Researchers
found that eating about six ounces of yogurt a day could reduce levels of
odor-causing compounds (i.e. hydrogen sulfide). Ask a dentist about eating yogurt daily and they can let you know how
beneficial it is.
Fruits are also very beneficial in masking bad odors. They help with the production of saliva, which helps nourish the mouth and give it a natural balance. Given this information, apples and pears are good for producing saliva. Some other fruits that are good for masking bad breath are oranges, melons, and berries. These fruits are particularly rich in Vitamin C which not only helps fight bacteria but also battles gum disease and gingivitis, which can also be factors that cause bad breath. Vitamin C is a great source for your oral health.
Sugar-free
gum is also good for the production of saliva. Chewing on sugar-free gum will
cause the bad odor to go away temporarily. Breath mints have the same temporary
affect the gum does.
There
are a number of items that help mask bad breath. As long as you are cautious of
what you consume and know what you can consume after the make the smell go
away, then you have nothing to fear. You can enjoy your onion rings and your
garlic aioli sauces; just make sure to have one of the odor-fighting items on
hand! If you have any questions regarding bad breath caused by certain foods,
feel free to call Dr. Kezian and staff. They will be more than happy to help answer your questions!
Dr. Arthur A. Kezian DDS 443 N. Larchmont
Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90004 (323) 467-2777 http://www.drkezian.com
-N.S.
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