Have you ever found yourself in the position where your breath gave away your lunch menu? Don’t worry because it has happened to many of us, it’s a common phenomenon though nobody likes to talk about it. But according to Harvard Medical School almost one-third of the population suffers from bad breath also called halitosis. Halitosis is the bacteria that resides in the mouth and feasts on the food particles and dead cells present which causes bad breath. While many of us like to take care of our dental hygiene like brushing our teeth twice, rinsing mouth after a meal and flossing regularly, sometimes bad breath could be linked to our diet.
Many of us think that only foods like onion and garlic are responsible for bad breath but there are other foods as well that can lead to a bad odour. Food contains pungent oils that carry it to the bloodstream to your lungs and when you breathe out, the pungent leftovers are exhaled too. Fortunately, certain foods can be the antidote to the bad breath that could help you to mask those pungent oils. Here are some foods that could help you with fresh breath while keeping the pungent smell at bay.
1. Apples
Apples contain polyphenols which act as detergents. And due to the presence of antimicrobial agents, it prevents bacteria from growing inside the mouth, leading to good oral hygiene and fresh breath. It seems like an apple a day also keeps the bad breath away.
2. Melons
Melons are rich in vitamin C which helps to get rid of bacteria residing in the mouth. Besides that, they are also high in water content, and a well-hydrated mouth is better able to maintain a healthy balance of oral hygiene. Thereby, you are a lot less likely to have a bad breath.
3. Ginger
Ginger is known for its anti-inflammatory properties for keeping the digestive system in balance, it also has the powerful effect of neutralizing bad breath. Eating a piece of ginger after having a meal can act as a mouth freshener as it cleanses the taste palate and leaves you with a fresh breath.
4. Yogurt
Consuming sugarless yogurt can reduce the number of volatile sulfur compounds in the mouth. The removal of these sulfur compounds has a probiotic effect that helps the good bacteria in the mouth to flourish as yogurt has nutrients like vitamin D which helps to keep the digestive tract in order, due to which, bad breath can be prevented.
5. Water
The biggest malefactor of bad breath is dry-mouth and keeping it hydrated can prevent the unpleasant odour. It is often advised to drink 7-8 glasses of water per day for the removal of toxins from the body. This act can also help flush out bacteria that reside in your mouth as drinking water will not only stimulate your saliva production, but it can also wash away any pieces of food that are lingering in your mouth.