After an afternoon coffee or garlic-filled dinner you may want to reach for a mint to get rid of the odor left in your mouth. What you eat and drink is just one of the causes of bad breath. Here are five easy tips for battling bad breath when your toothbrush or mints just aren’t cutting it.
1. Sip on tea
Green and black teas contain polyphenols, which are chemicals able to stop the breeding of bacteria. Since bacteria lurking in your mouth are the cause of most bad breath, drinking tea could help destroy the smell at its source. Keep tea bags with you at work and sub that second cup of coffee for a bacteria-busting cup of tea instead.
2. Drink more water
Grabbing a glass of water is good for bad breath because it increases saliva. When our mouth is dry, the bacteria living in there release a gas (which smells less than ideal). But this occurrence doesn’t happen if you stay hydrated. Keep your mouth moist by drinking water regularly and you might notice your breath also smells better.
3. Eat foods with high water content
High water content foods keep your mouth moist just like drinking more water does. Vegetables like cucumber and celery are good choices since they are easy to grab to go or throw in your favorite salad. By incorporating hydrating foods into your diet you’ll avoid dry mouth and the odor that comes with it.
4. Snack on apples
If you’re not a big tea drinker you’ll be glad to know apples also contain those bacteria-killing polyphenols. Their rough texture can even help remove buildup on your teeth! Take an apple along with you to work for a healthy snack that also stops bad breath in its tracks.
5. Nosh on parsley
If you’re dining out and your dish turns out to carry a heavy kick of garlic chewing on some fresh parsley could help. Sure, asking the waiter for a side of parsley might seem strange, but the herb contains enzymes that are able to counteract that lingering garlic taste and neutralize bad odor. Trading garlic breath for an awkward moment seems fair enough to me!
