Halitosis is a clinical term for bad breath, a malady thought to affect at least half the population. While a small percentage of cases originate in the gut, the vast majority can be traced to the mouth. Usually halitosis is caused by sulfur gases created by bacteria in the mouth. Food and mucus serve as breeding grounds.
A number of natural treatments are available which have shown varying degrees of effectiveness in controlling the bacteria and sulfuric gas that cause halitosis. Check with your dentist to determine which healthful regimen to follow for treating bad breath, as well as potential causes which could require further treatment.
Zinc
Preliminary research has shown zinc to reduce the concentration of sulfur compounds in the mouth. One study found that zinc included in a baking soda toothpaste reduced these gasses, and investigators in Poland found that zinc tablets were effective in lessening halitosis but did not serve as a permanent cure. In 2003, yet another study found that a one percent zinc acetate solution reduced the sulfur compounds, but subjects found the metallic taste disagreeable. Some commercial rinses mask the metallic taste with other ingredients.
Herbs
Several items in your spice cabinet can help cover odor if you chew them, including anise, cardamom, dill and fennel seeds. You can also suck on a small piece of cinnamon bark. Fennel is also sold encapsulated, and you can mix the powder from a fennel capsule with baking soda, and use it like toothpaste. Anise has a mild licorice flavor and according to Drug.com has mild antibacterial properties as well.
Cloves also have antimicrobial properties. Make a mouth rinse by adding 2 whole or 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves in 2 cups of hot water, and steep for 20 minutes. Strain and use as a mouthwash or gargle twice a day.
If you have an herb garden, you can nibble mint, parsley, basil, rosemary, thyme and wintergreen to freshen breath. Sage has essential oils with antimicrobial properties, so it can help attack the source of the problem.
Dissolving a tiny bit of myrrh in your mouth before bed or using powdered myrrh into tea can help your breath. For tea add 2 sprigs chopped parsley, 3 whole cloves, 1 teaspoon powdered myrrh, and 1/4 teaspoon powdered goldenseal to 2 cups of boiling water. Steep for 20 to 30 minutes, then strain and use as a mouth rinse.
Probiotics
Although offending bacteria in the mouth can be successfully eradicated, they will eventually return when treatment stops. In a 2006 study, the investigators attempted to repopulate the tongue with Streptococcus salivarius K12, a probiotic, after eradicating the offending bacteria. The same researchers also conducted in vitro testing showing that S. salivarius K12 retarded the growth of the offending strains in human saliva.
While probiotics show promise in the treatment of halitosis, research is ongoing to determine the appropriate strains and dosages.
Essential Oils
Some commercial mouthwashes utilize essential oils that have been shown to act against bacteria such as thymol, from thyme and eukalyptol, from eucalyptus. Other oils with antimicrobial properties include tea tree, clove, caraway, peppermint, and sage.
Try brushing with a few drops of tea tree oil, or if the flavor is too strong for you to tolerate alone, mix it with your regular toothpaste.
Natural chewing gum made with spearmint or peppermint oils is also available. While the oils kill bacteria, chewing action simultaneously causes more saliva to be produced, further assisting with halitosis.
