If you're concerned that the garlic fries at lunch may interfere with your afternoon meeting, try another food to counteract the potential halitosis and make the meeting more pleasant for everyone. Keep in mind, however, that bad breath can be the sign of a serious condition, such as diabetes, liver dysfunction or kidney disease. If bad breath is an issue for you every day, contact your doctor to ensure its not a symptom of a more serious health condition.
Water
Bad breath is often caused by dry mouth. The Mayo Clinic notes that keeping your mouth moist can inhibit the growth of bacteria that causes bad breath. Make sure you drink water, not coffee, soda or alcohol, as all have drying effects and can make the situation worse. If you suffer from severe dry mouth, talk with your doctor or dentist about artificial saliva or prescription medications that keep your mouth moist.
Herbs
Besides being a garnish on the plate, parsley has the ability to mask bad breath odor. If you struggle with bad breath, you can prepare a solution at home by steeping parsley in boiling water, straining the parsley and cooling the liquid before drinking. If you need parsley on the spur of the moment, consider eating the garnish on your plate. It might not be terribly tasty, but it can counteract the effects of any halitosis-inducing foods.
Similarly, aniseed, thyme, rosemary and cloves all counteract bad breath. Steep the herbs in hot water and then drink the tea to get the benefit of these herbs. If you haven't time to steep the herbs, chew them to rid yourself of bad breath.
Yogurt
A study by Dr. K. Hojo and colleagues at the Tsurumi University, Yokohama, Japan and presented at the 2005 International Association for Dental Research, studied the effectiveness of yogurt's probiotic elements to counter bad breath. If your bad breath is an ongoing issue, the study found that a 3.5 oz. serving of plain yogurt that contains live bacteria twice a day for six weeks decreases the bacteria in your mouth by up to 80 percent. To make sure you're eating the right kind of yogurt, look for one labeled with Live Active Cultures (LAC). If possible, avoid yogurts that have added sugar, as the study used sugar-free yogurt.
