Everyone must watch what they eat in order to maintain a healthy bodyweight. But what if you have bad breath? If you’re prone to this condition, must you monitor what you eat to avoid situations where people would back away whenever you speak to them? The answer is a resounding yes! While consuming the right foods are important to keep one in good physical shape, for bad breath sufferers, it’s to be considered an added incentive to choose wisely, what goes in their mouth to prevent the condition from worsening. The foods indicated below are widely known to cause smelly breath, and people who have a natural inclination for producing unpleasant scent from their mouth, should try to stay clear from them until the condition has been fully treated. I’m sure many bad breath sufferers will find it hard to resist eating some of the foods in the following list, so at the very least, keep the intake of these guilty foods at the absolute minimum. These are foods that can really cause serious bad breath!
6. Citrus Juices – We all know that drinking citrus juices can do so much wonders for our health, as opposed to having sugary carbonated drinks like Pepsi, Sprite, Root Beer, and what have you. They are good sources of Vitamin C, fiber, and flavonoids so basically, there’s no harm in downing plenty of citrus juices right? Well, too much of a good thing can turn out to be bad, however in this case, if you’re a bad breath sufferer, it can turn out to be a whole lot worse! A citrus juice such as orange, lemon, and grapefruit contains a large amount of citric acid. Now, acidic foods provide added fuel for bacteria to generate at a much faster rate thus, creating more sulfur compounds in the mouth and all the more reason for people to avoid talking to you.
5. Coffee – I’m sure you’ve heard of the term of coffee breath? People who drink a lot of coffee and reeks of this beverage are normally regarded as coffee breath, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing if people around you happen to enjoy the scent of stale coffee. If you have smelly breath however, you might want to avoid drinking coffee because similar to citric juice, coffee also contains a lot of acid. If you’re unable to function without your daily dose of coffee, have tea instead. Tea is too lame for you? Okay if that’s the case, opt for low acid coffee. No cause for bad breath and you also get to enjoy your favorite beverage. Jolly good right?
4. Milk and Cheese – Bad breath sufferers with lactose intolerant condition should shun dairy foods like milk and cheese. Bacteria living in the surface of the tongue tend to feed on amino acids within these dairy foods, turning them into awful smelling sulfur compounds.
3. Meat and Fish – Foods with protein-rich content like meat, fish, and chicken can also cause bad breath. Oral bacteria assimilate protein thereby producing waste materials called volatile sulfur compounds. Bits and pieces from this type of foods can easily get stuck in between the teeth or gum line providing the fuel for bacteria to boom exponentially. Ever heard of fish malodor syndrome? It’s a very rare condition that affects individuals whose bodies are not able to break down protein-rich foods. This syndrome may cause the person to give off strong fish-smelling breath. If your breath smells similar to a decayed fish, by all means, refrain from consuming protein-rich foods.
2. Alcohol – Excessive alcohol consumption is not only a good way to get you jolly drunk and rendering you temporarily unfit to drive, it also causes your mouth to dry leading to bad smelling breath. It’s essential that your mouth generate enough saliva to rid of dead cells around the mouth and throat.
1. Garlic and Onions – These two are definitely the top foods that cause bad breath. I ate plenty of garlic and onions back when I was a miserable sufferer. I absolutely love garlic and onions. Although these two foods were not the main cause of my bad breath, it certainly took my already insidious breath to the absolute zenith. Remember the smelly sulfur compounds produced by bacteria? Well, these sulfur compounds are included naturally in garlic and onions! Now you know why Vampires sweat themselves over a bunch of garlic cloves. Bad joke aside, do avoid or minimize consumption, or risk turning your condition from bad to worse.
