Help for halitosis starts with diet and teeth, not with drugs

Help for halitosis starts with diet and teeth, not with drugs
8/30/2008
By SUZY COHEN Dear Pharmacist
TulsaWorld

Question: This is embarrassing, but I have such bad breath that I can't keep a girlfriend. Every time I kiss a woman, she shies away or ends the kiss quickly. Is there some type of medicine or vitamin that will cure this? Û Dallas

Answer: I will assume you know that smoking, or eating garlic and onions will cause bad breath, known more clinically as "halitosis." I'm sorry to tell you, but there are no medications for bad breath either.

Stop cooking with so much animal fat, meat and dairy because these foods may be hard for you to digest. Eat more plant foods, like fruits and veggies and especially parsley. Plants contain chlorophyllÛ a dye that makes the plant leaves green. Chlorophyll is nature's deodorizer. It freshens you from your mouth on down, including your liver, which is crucial. You can buy chlorophyll supplements, spirulina or marine-derived phytoplankton. You can also find inexpensive "green" drinks at any health food store Û just mix the powder with water and drink. Another cool trick Û drink peppermint tea every single day.

People with insufficient acid can't break down their food properly so it becomes putrid in your gut, emitting a foul-smelling gas. Acid-blocking drugs used for heartburn can cause low acid in the gut. So can a poor diet or medications because these destroy beneficial flora and gut integrity. Digestive acid supplements are sold at health food stores.

Visit your dentist because cavities, gum disease and dirty teeth will make you hoard malodorous bacteria in your mouth. Buy a tongue brush from the pharmacy and before your date, gargle with 1 teaspoonful baking soda mixed in a cup of water. You can also buy activated charcoal (like CharcoCaps) to temporarily absorb offensive odors, as in bad breath or gas.

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