How to Get Rid of Bad Breath Naturally
Surprising Use for a Coffee Bean
To freshen your breath, try sucking on a coffee bean. It’s much cheaper than a breath mint, and tastes great to us coffee addicts!
See also: The Health Benefits of Coffee
Eat Apples for Better Breath
Here’s yet another reason to eat your apple a day: It can reduce bad breath! Apples contain pectin, a natural breath freshener, so make them a regular part of your diet for a clean mouth. Crunchy raw vegetables like celery and carrots can help as well—the roughage scrubs the inside of your mouth, reduces plaque, and improves your breath.
Get Rid of Garlic Breath
That garlic bread you had at dinner was delicious, but now no one will get close to you! To neutralize breath odor after a garlicky meal, mix together a tablespoon or two of lemon juice with a pinch of sugar. Swirl it around your mouth and then swallow it. It will neutralize the smell so you can breathe out without fear!
Yogurt for Bad Breath
Bad breath? Eat some yogurt! The “good” bacteria in yogurt has been found to be effective in targeting the odor-causing bacteria in your mouth. Make sure you go for the plain kind, no sugar. Breath mints and sprays mask the odor but they don’t help the underlying problem—eating yogurt does.
DIY Mouthwash
You don’t need expensive mouthwashes to get better breath. Simply gargle with a mixture of 1 cup water, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt. This combo will knock out any germs that are causing your bad breath.
Go for Tea Instead of Coffee
Drink black tea to decrease your morning breath! It contains polyphenols, an antioxidant that helps prevent odor-causing plaque from sticking to your teeth. Polyphenols are also thought to inhibit bacteria growth.
Does Tongue Scraping Work?
You may have heard that tongue scrapers are great for bad breath. That’s because they can help remove odor-causing bacteria that your toothbrush simply can’t scrub away. But why spend a cent on one when you’re got the perfect solution in your silverware drawer: a spoon! With either a metal or plastic spoon, scrape your tongue from back to front several times (don’t forget the sides of the tongue). Who knew fresh breath could be so simple?
Practice Good Brush Hygiene
To keep your toothbrush from harboring smelly bacteria, keep it stored brush-side down in hydrogen peroxide. Rinse the bristles before each use. By using a clean brush, you won’t be reintroducing bacteria into your mouth that could cause bad breath!
Spices for Fresh Breath
After eating, hit up your spice rack for some natural breath fresheners. A traditional choice is fennel seeds—if you chew and swallow a few seeds you’ll have fresher breath and help aid digestion. No fennel seeds on hand? Try dill, anise, or cardamom seeds for the same effect. Cloves also have an antibacterial effect, but be sure to spit them out after their spicy oils have filled your mouth.
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Image courtesy of Shutterstock.
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About the Author
Bruce Lubin and Jeanne Bossolina-Lubin are the proud parents of three boys and more than a dozen books. After saving thousands per year using everyday tips and simple lifehacks, they started their own business in the hopes of sharing their knowledge with others. They have been known to go into their friends’ refrigerators to turn their eggs upside down so that they last longer.
