Medically Reviewed By Colgate Global Scientific Communications
As kids if your breath smelled foul, your mum might have given you a sprig of refreshing parsley to chew on. Parsley contains chlorophyll, which is a natural breath deodorizer . But this green garnish isn’t the only natural home remedy that will help combat stale breath:
Mother Nature’s Treasure Trove
Your kitchen or garden can be a bountiful source of Mother Nature’s ‘breath mints’. Sweet, fragrant herbs and spices like fennel, cinnamon, anise seeds and cloves are a wonderfully simple remedy for getting rid of that persistent aftertaste when a meal is done. Chewing on a mixture of cloves or anise seeds after a heavy meal can leave a cleaner, fresher feeling in your mouth.
Coriander, tarragon, spearmint, rosemary, eucalyptus and cardamom are also believed to be good for combating halitosis. The combination of herbs can be infused in hot water and mixed into a soothing herbal tea.
DID YOU KNOW?
Even in fiction, parsley is famed as a remedy for indigestion and bad breath. In the famous children’s book The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter, the cute rabbit overindulges in food: “First he ate some lettuce and some broad beans, then some radishes, and then, feeling rather sick, he went to look for some parsley.”
Tea Tree Power
The tea tree is a native Australian plant that contains a host of health benefits, one of which is combating stale breath . The oil extracted from the leaves and stems of the tea tree has powerful antibacterial properties and is good for treating chronic bad breath. In Australia, people have been known to soak their dental floss in tea tree oil.
Yoghurt is Good for Long Term Protection
Studies have shown that getting at least one serving of yoghurt a day can decrease the level of the odor-causing germs hydrogen sulfide in your mouth. Yoghurt contains the live cultures streptococcus thermophilus and lactobacillus bulgaricus, which help to keep your mouth healthy by reducing germs that cause plaque and gum disease, as well as offensive odors.
Besides these home remedies, here are some basic steps to keep your breath fresh:
1) Brush your tongue when you brush your teeth twice a day. Germs and food residue can breed on the hair-like tissues that cover the surface of your tongue, so gently scrub your tongue to get rid of the slimy layer that contributes to unpleasant breath. The Colgate® 360 range of toothbrushes has a tongue cleaner incorporated at the back of the brush head to help effectively clean the tongue each time you brush.
2) Avoid excessive consumption of strong-smelling foods like garlic or cheese. These increase the level of hydrogen sulfide in your mouth, which produces foul odors.
3) When you wake up in the morning, after brushing your teeth, use Colgate® Plax Mouthwash to provide 12 hour protection from germs build-up. Regular morning exercise and using a saline solution to clear blocked sinus passages will also have a beneficial effect on your breath.
