Treating Halitosis With Natural Remedies

Halitosis – commonly known as bad breath – is fairly common, especially in the morning. During the night, your mouth rests and produces little saliva. However, some people suffer more frequently, throughout the day. In this article, we’ll talk about the causes of bad breath and explore some natural remedies (including medicinal plants and supplements) as well as give you some tips on how to avoid this embarrassing condition.

Common causes

Common causes include:

• Poor oral hygiene
• Improper digestion or indigestion
• Dental disease
• Alcoholism
• Smoking
• Cavities and tooth decay
• Tooth implants
• Gingivitis
• Sinusitis
• Certain medications
• Throat infections
• Chronic gastritis
• Poor liver function

When halitosis occurs frequentslyor doesn’t respond to treatment, remedy or lifestyle changes and you’re unable to determine the cause, you should see your GP. Bad breath is a symptom of  some serious diseases, lung cancer being just one example.

To effectively treat bad breath, we should first try to deduce the possible causes. If it’s due to the most common factors of digestion or liver problems, natural remedies should prove helpful. Start by cleansing the body, as poor digestion causes food remnants to be broken down more slowly in our gastrointestinal tract, and they can putrify as a result.

Chlorophyll-full salads!

Who says that natural remedies have to be hard to swallow? This tip for treating offensive breath is gloriously delicious. Simply eat fresh salads daily. The trick is to include odour-busting ingredients such as parsley, celery, mint and avocado. Then, dress with olive oil dressing and a little bit of sea salt. These salads are refreshing, deeply cleansing and extremely beneficial to the liver. Make an extra effort to eat green foods such as kale and broccoli. They’re rich in chlorophyll, a substance that helps neutralise odours and thoroughly cleanses the oral cavity.

Juniper berries

Juniper is native to Europe and grows in its cool, wet forests. It’s also found in Northern Asia and North America.

This natural cure is really easy. No, it’s not an excuse to drink gin! But you can chew juniper berries half an hour before meals on the following schedule (which should be strictly adhered to):

• Days 1, 2 and 3: chew 1 juniper berry before every meal
• Days 4, 5 and 6: chew 2 juniper berries before every meal
• Days 7 through 15: chew 5 juniper berries before every meal

It’s recommended that you do this for fifteen days each time and at various times throughout the year.

Chlorella algae

Comprised of 60% vegetable albumin, this micro-algae contains 19 amino acids, 8 of which are essential as they must be sourced from food, as our bodies don’t produce them. Chlorella is also a natural source of vitamins and minerals – especially the extremely valuable vitamin B12. When it comes to halitosis, the chlorophyll-abundant chlorella produces an antibacterial effect, so it neutralises bad odours. What’s more, it helps cleanse the body of heavy metals and other toxins. You can buy it in the form of tablets at health food shops. Follow the instructions on the packet.

Bamboo charcoal

Activated charcoal – generally referred to as bamboo charcoal – is renowned for its gas and diarrhoea-fighting properties; so, it’s really no wonder that it can be very useful for treating bad breath, too. It’s disinfectant,  absorbent and highly resistant to spoilage. Just one teaspoon in water after meals is enough to make a considerable improvement. If you can’t stomach the thought of that, you’ll find it at health food shops in tablet form.

Medicinal plants

There are a variety of medicinal plants that counteract bad breath and they’re all easily accessible. As a bonus, they help your digestive system function well. You can prepare a litre of tea using the herbs listed below and enjoy sipping it throughout the day:

• mint
• anise seed
• rosemary
• wormwood

If you want a sweet tea, you can sweeten it with stevia. You might also want to try adding the juice of half a lemon.

Make a habit of good dental hygiene

Your mouth’s health is directly related to your overall health. They’re inextricably intertwined. It’s very important to cultivate good habits and keep your mouth clean – not only because food remnants get trapped between the teeth, but also because there are many toxic substances in today’s processed foods. To avoid bad breath and keep your mouth in top nick, we recommend the following simple advice:

• floss at least once a day
• ensure that you brush your teeth for no less than two minutes
• use natural toothpaste that doesn’t contain sodium lauryl sulfate. Although considered safe for use in cosmetics, it’s too aggressive for dental health and can cause an imbalance in the mouth’s pH.
• gargle with natural mouthwash made of sage, thyme, cinnamon, mint and other deodorising herbs
• gargle daily with oil

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