The distinctive smell is caused by sulfur-containing chemicals in garlic and onion. The smell can linger on a person's breath for hours and even overnight, which discourages some people from eating these vegetables. Luckily, many home remedies can prevent or eliminate bad breath. Below, we describe 12 simple methods.
Rinse your mouth with lemon water two to three times a day. A tablespoon of lemon juice in a cup of water can help neutralize onion breath. The citric acid in the lemon contains antibacterial properties that can kill bacteria that cause bad breath. Just be careful not to let the citric acid sit on the teeth.
Bacteria that live in the mouth can make compounds that have sulfur. These compounds are especially stinky. They can smell like rotten eggs or onion, for example. If bad breath isn't cleared up by brushing your teeth or using mouthwash, it may be a sign of another issue.
Eating Pungent Foods
Digestion actually starts with that first bite of food, and whatever your child eats begins breaking down in their mouth, which can cause an unpleasant smell. Sulfur-producing foods like garlic and onions are especially notorious for causing bad breath in kids (and adults).
If you love onions or garlic-rich foods, you can expect some stinky breath to linger after brushing, even for a day or two. That is because, during digestion, oils from the garlic enter your bloodstream and travel to your lungs.
However, there are some effective ways to get rid of garlic and onion breath. You can brush and floss, use a tongue scraper, or rinse with mouthwash, baking soda, and lemon water to help remove bad breath. In addition, eating chewing gum or apples also helps reduce the bad breath.
Yes, chewing on the roasted coffee beans can go some way to ridding you of your garlic or onion breath. Other good options to freshen your breath include parsley or mint leaves.
Chewing on this herb – especially the stems – will neutralize the odor associated with garlic breath. The polyphenols in parsley act like antioxidants and break down the smelly sulfur compounds in garlic. Rinsing with Listerine for 30 seconds can help remove garlic breath.
But an old school knife sharpener will! Wet it and then rub the end inside of your mouth, cheeks, tongue (don't gag yourself, please) and VOILA! Brush teeth and tongue as usual and you are DONE!
If you think you might have bad breath, there is a simple test that you can do. Just lick the inside of your wrist and sniff - if the smell is bad, you can be fairly sure that your breath is too.
The pungent compound, gingerol is the chemical that gives ginger its spicy flavour and is also a reason of getting rid of bad breath. This compound stimulates an enzyme in the mouth that breaks down the substances which make breath smell bad.
Foods with a strong smell such as onions and garlic is high in sulfuric acid. The oil secreted from onions mixes with the fatty sweat released in the apocrine glands. The strong smell from onions contributes to body odor in the apocrine glands.
Drink green tea
Green tea is very high in antioxidants called polyphenols. As with the enzymes in the apple, polyphenols can cover up the odor-causing chemicals in garlic, depending on the type of green tea.
The scientists also found that drinking lemon juice, because of its high acidity, neutralises the smell from crushed garlic. Acidic liquids destroy allinase, an enzyme, which activates when garlic is crushed and releases the distinctive smell.
Since garlic's scent is so pungent, garlic breath can last for up to a day after eating it. Luckily, there's no need to give up garlic entirely.
Mouth infections can cause bad breath. However, if your dentist has ruled out other causes and you brush and floss every day, your bad breath could be the result of another problem, such as a sinus condition, gastric reflux, diabetes, liver or kidney disease. In this case, see your healthcare provider.
Bromhidrosis is a disease that occurs when the bacteria on your skin breaks down sweat and produces an abnormally offensive smell similar to onions or sulfur.
Body odor is caused by a mix of bacteria and sweat on your skin. Your body odor can change due to hormones, the food you eat, infection, medications or underlying conditions like diabetes. Prescription-strength antiperspirants or medications may help.