If you're one of the many thousands of people who suffer from chronic bad breath on a regular basis, chances are you've likely tried lots of those conventional so-called bad breath remedies in an attempt to cure your halitosis problem.
But despite what they might promise on the packaging, you might also be only too aware that unfortunately many of these products fail miserably to live up to their hype.
In fact, this might well be the very reason for the increase in popularity in recent years of more unusual bad breath treatments and solutions, such as herbal preparations and home concoctions. More and more people are now turning their back on traditional oral hygiene products in favor of more unusual methods.
And a quick look at some of the comments and posts on various online bad breath support forums would seem to suggest that some people are indeed finding some success using less conventional methods of treatment.
It's easy to understand the appeal of finding a really good natural cure for bad breath. For a start, it means you're not subjecting your body to any harsh chemicals or medications which may prove to be habit-forming at a later date.
And they're also often much cheaper than many expensive over-the-counter-products, the costs of which can soon mount up when you have to keep using them on a regular basis just to keep your smelly breath at bay.
One particular way in which some people are attempting to cure bad breath naturally is through the use of foods.
In general, there are 3 main categories of foods which some people believe can help to alleviate bad breath. These are:
1. Fiber-rich crunchy fruit and vegetables - eating crunchy fruit and veggies such as apples, carrots and celery can help to stimulate the production of saliva in your mouth. This is especially important from a bad breath point of view as a dry mouth is one of the factors that can cause your mouth to smell.
You may not be aware, but the number one cause of bad breath is bacteria that you have in your mouth. When aggravated, these bacteria can multiply in excessive numbers and it's this that frequently leads to bad breath.
And one of the things that these bacteria absolutely love is a dry environment. Therefore, keeping your mouth moist is one of the ways you can keep these bacteria in check.
And this is why it's so important to keep yourself properly hydrated by drinking a sufficient amount of still, unflavored water every day. Many health experts recommend that you should consume about 8 glasses a day for optimum health benefits.
2. Foods high in vitamin C - berries and citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits which contain high levels of vitamin C may help to prevent the development of gingivitis and gum disease, another two things which can contribute to halitosis.
And as an extra bonus, as well as helping to minimize any rotten stenchs coming from your mouth, vitamin C is also a very powerful antioxidant and can help to protect the cells of your body from the damaging effects of harmful free radicals.
3. Yoghurt containing live cultures - a recent dental study found that eating a serving of yoghurt with active cultures every day can help to reduce the amount of odor-causing sulphur dioxide in a person's mouth.
Lower incidences of gum diease and plaque build up were also reported among the study's participants.
Well, the jury might still out on whether these foods can with absolute certainty help to cure bad breath. But if you've already tried conventional treatments in the past without success, then you might well want to give them a go.
After all, you've really got nothing to lose - except your bad breath, that is!
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