Nutrition
Give your jaw a workout. When you eat, chew your food thoroughly, Dr. Replogle advises. Chewing stimulates saliva flow.
Choose your foods carefully. Certain foods are notorious for causing bad breath, such as coffee, alcohol, certain cheeses, and garlic and its close relatives (onions, chives, leeks, and shallots). When you consume these foods, the offensive odor emanates not only from your mouth but also from your lungs, Dr. Replogle explains. The foods contain malodorous sulfur compounds, which enter the bloodstream during digestion, travel to the lungs, and then get exhaled.
Even exemplary oral hygiene can't prevent bad breath that originates in the lungs. So if you're worried about your breath, you're better off avoiding problem foods altogether.
Consider meatless meals. Meat eaters are more likely to have halitosis than vegetarians, according to Dr. Replogle. Meats-especially pastrami, salami, and pepperoni -contain sulfur and other compounds that find their way into the lungs and get exhaled.
Fill up on fluids. Drink plenty of water throughout the day, advises Alan P. Brauer, M.D. Water keeps your mouth tissues hydrated and washes away food residues. Citrus juices are great, too. They have the same benefits as water, plus they stimulate saliva flow.
Herbal Medicine
Try the chlorophyll cure. Ever wonder why chefs garnish entrees with a sprig of parsley? They're perpetuating the ancient Roman practice of chewing parsley after meals. Parsley is rich in chlorophyll, a potent breath-freshener. So are basil and cilantro.
"Refrigerate sprigs of fresh parsley, basil, and cilantro in a glass of water," advises James A. Duke, Ph.D. "Then nibble them throughout the day."
Capitalize on cineole. Cineole is a powerful antibacterial antiseptic found in several medicinal herbs. "The richest source is cardamom," Dr. Duke says. "But spearmint, peppermint, ginger, eucalyptus, rosemary, and sweet annie are also good sources." He suggests munching on a few fresh leaves of spearmint or peppermint or making a tea from any of the other herbs. For ginger, use grated fresh root; for the others, dried leaves will do. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of the herb to 1 cup of boiled water, then allow to steep to taste before drinking.
Make time for thyme. Thyme is another herb with antibacterial properties, thanks to a compound called thymol in its oil. Simply chew some fresh leaves or make a tea from the herb, following the directions in the previous tip.
Be sanguine about your breath. Dr. Brauer recommends rinsing your mouth with Viadent, an over-the-counter mouthwash that contains an extract of the medicinal herb sanguinaria (bloodroot). "Sanguinaria is a powerful antiseptic;" he explains. "It kills bacteria in the mouth and under the gums that contribute to bad breath."
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