Bad breath can be CURED by eating these three things

Scientists say they have found a cure for bad breath, and it’s in most people’s kitchens.

A meta-analysis of existing studies found that probiotic bacteria in fermented foods like yogurt, sourdough bread, and miso soup can remove the plaque responsible for bad breath from the teeth and tongue.

Volatile sulfur compounds are the main cause of persistent bad breath and occur when bacteria living on the surface of the tongue break down proteins too quickly, creating a surplus of the foul-smelling chemical.

Probiotics are good bacteria that live in the body, break down and absorb nutrients from food, and protect against harmful bacteria. Other probiotic-rich foods and drinks include pickles and the trendy kombucha tea.

Researchers found that probiotic supplements could help fight bad breath by reducing the proteins responsible for it in the mouth, while helping to fight plaque buildup in the mouth (file photo)

There are already several treatments for bad breath, including mouthwashes, gum, dental flaking, and tongue scraping.

While these can temporarily improve someone’s oral hygiene, bad habits or genetic factors can cause bad breath to return.

Researchers at Sichuan University in China looked at whether probiotics could flush out odor-causing proteins like they do bad bacteria.

They scoured research databases for relevant clinical trials published up to February 2021.

Seven studies involving 278 people were found to be eligible for their investigation, each comparing probiotics to placebo as a treatment for bad breath.

The probiotics analyzed for the study were: Lactobacillus salivarius, Lactobacillus reuteri, Streptococcus salivarius and Weissella cibaria.

They were all in supplement form.

The number of participants in each study was small, ranging from 23 to 68, with an age range of 19 to 70. Follow-up periods ranged from two to 12 weeks.

The severity of bad breath was determined by the levels of the proteins responsible for it (volatile sulfur compounds) detected in the mouth and on the tongue.

The researchers also considered the levels of plaque found on the tongue and teeth in certain studies, since this buildup is also responsible for bad breath.

The pooled data analysis, published in BMJ Openshowed that bad breath scores dropped significantly in those given probiotics compared to those given a placebo.

A similar result was observed for the levels of volatile sulfur compounds detected, although these varied ‘substantially’ in individual studies.

The observed effects were relatively short-lived, up to four weeks, after which there was no noticeable difference. This means that a person must keep up with supplements to maintain odor-free breath.

But there were no significant differences in tongue coating score or plaque index between those who got probiotics and those who didn’t.

Study author Dr Longjiang Li, from Sichuan University in China, said: “Probiotics can inhibit the breakdown of amino acids and proteins by anaerobic bacteria in the mouth, thereby curbing the production of malodorous byproducts. “.

But the researchers sounded a note of caution in interpreting their findings.

The sample sizes of the included studies were small and some of the data were incomplete.

Dr Li added: “This systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that probiotics can alleviate halitosis by reducing concentration levels of volatile sulfur compounds in the short term, but there is no significant effect on the main causes of halitosis, such as plaque and coating of the tongue”. .

“Further high-quality randomized clinical trials are required in the future to verify the results and provide evidence of the efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of halitosis.”