10 Best Bad Breath Remedies

Simple and inexpensive home bad breath remedies can be far more effective than store bought mouthwashes.

Sulfur producing bacteria in your throat and on your tongue causes bad breath, halitosis in more scientific terms. The bacteria break down proteins and aid in digestion. Amino acids found in protein produce sulfur when they decompose.

These bacteria are anaerobic, meaning they need an oxygen deficient environment to thrive. Commercial mouth rinses contain alcohol, which dries your mouth out. The drier your mouth, the faster anaerobic bacteria do their work. What we think of morning after breath following a night of heavy drinking is in fact the by-product of bacteria feasting while you’re sleeping it off.

And just because you have a nice minty taste in your mouth after using a commercial mouthwash doesn’t mean your break doesn’t stink. Most mouthwashes only mask the problem. Your brain might be saying ‘minty fresh’ but the person next you is smelling something entirely different.

Keep your mouth clean and moist is the most effective way to eliminate bad breath.

Simple home remedies for bad breath:

• Brush your teeth and your tongue at least twice a day, preferably after every meal.
• Drink 5-8 glasses of water a day, more if you consume a lot of coffee and soda.
• Replace sweets with leafy green vegetables like parsley that contain chlorophyll, a natural breath freshener.
• Use a mixture of 50 percent hydrogen peroxide and 50 percent water as a mouth rinse. Hydrogen peroxide kills bacteria.
• Snack on celery, apples and carrots to help remove food and bacteria from your teeth.
• Limit caffeine and alcohol consumption, which can cause dry mouth.
• Brushing with baking soda reduces the mouth’s acidity, making it harder for odor producing bacteria to grow.
• Both green and black tea have properties shown to reduce bacteria growth.
• Use sugarless lozenges to increase saliva and keep the mouth moist.
• Quit smoking. In addition to the nauseating smell of cigarettes, they also dry out the mouth.