10 Surprising Foods That Are Bad for Your Breath (No. 5 Will Shock You)
You have probably taken several measures to avoid bad breath, including regular brushing, flossing, rinsing with a mouthwash, and many others, but it all does not seem to be working. The culprit could be right under your nose – the food you eat! Here, we are going to look at some of the foods that cause bad breath and what to do regarding them.
Foods That Causes Bad Breath
1. Garlic
This is usually the first food to come to mind when this topic is mentioned. From experience, most of us have tasted a meal containing garlic and we must have noticed people’s reactions to us when we speak shortly after. And while it adds a good flavour and even taste to food, the aftermath is usually disturbing.
After enjoying your meal containing garlic, it gets absorbed into your bloodstream and makes its way to your lungs; so apart from the odour resulting from chewing the garlic, an additional one will be released from your lungs and through your mouth whenever you breathe out.
2. Onions
One of the foods that cause bad breath is onions. Onions are widely used worldwide for their taste as well as nutritional and health benefits. However, along with garlic, it is considered to be among the top causes of halitosis, a fancy word for bad breath. I personally love onions to the moon and back, so getting rid of them completely from my meals might be a very difficult thing to do.
The good news is that you can avoid the bad breath that comes along with eating it by, cooking it a little bit longer than you normally do.
It’s easy, right?
3. Coffee
You might have experienced some level of dryness in your mouth after taking coffee a number of times before. Coffee has caffeine as one of its constituents, and caffeine has an effect on saliva production.
The decrease in saliva that results from drinking coffee means there will be more accommodation for odour-causing bacteria in your mouth.
4. Canned Fish
Yes, canned fish is among the foods that cause bad breath. When seafood begins to oxidize as a result of storage, it tends to become sour.
Eating this without brushing your mouth afterwards might likely leave you with a stinking breath.
5. Protein
Proteins form a very important part of our meals due to their body-building qualities. Nevertheless, it is also among the foods that can cause bad breath, as eating too much of it and too little carbohydrates will lead to the production of an unpleasant smell, known as ketone breath. This occurs when the body resorts to using proteins and fats as fuel due to a shortage of carbohydrates.
Unfortunately, this smell cannot be masked by brushing and/or flossing, so it is best prevented by avoiding excess proteins in your diet and taking adequate water.
6. Sugar
Apart from the white sugar we all know, carbohydrate foods are also converted to sugar in our bodies after eating. A lot of us cannot do without sugar in our meals and beverages. The sugar debris that remains in our mouths after having that sumptuous pounded yam or rice meal or even after licking sweets can encourage the growth of odour-causing bacteria because they feed on it to survive.
Therefore, cutting down on your sugar intake and maintaining very good dental hygiene can keep you safe from the embarrassment that might result.
7. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are acidic in nature and this is just what odour-producing bacteria need to thrive. Whether you eat the fruit raw in your salads or as a sauce for your rice or yam, try as much as possible to drink an adequate amount of water to reduce the acidity, then you can brush afterwards.
8. Peanut butter
This is a paste made from ground dried peanut and spread on bread, toast, crackers and even sandwiches. Its thick nature makes it difficult for saliva to break down so it could stay for hours in your mouth and ultimately cause bad breath.
Rinsing with mouthwash after consuming peanut butter can help keep your breath fresh.
9. Cheese
Whenever you eat cheese, the bacteria in your mouth will act on amino acids contained in the cheese to produce sulfur compounds that can give you bad breath.
This can make your mouth smell like rotten eggs! I am sure you wouldn’t want that. Drinking enough water, flossing and brushing with s fluoride toothpaste can do the trick.
10. Citrus fruits
It is not new knowledge that citrus fruits are acidic. You must have experienced this yourself after tasting some —especially before it is completely ripe. The acid provides a comfortable environment for the bacteria to survive and trouble you with bad breath. This occurs especially when you are suffering from acid reflux conditions like peptic ulcer disease.
Reducing your intake of citrus, chewing sugar-free gum or candy and generally maintaining s good mouth hygiene can protect your breath from going sour.
Conclusion
Now that you know some of the foods that can cause bad breath, I hope you will also share the knowledge with your friends and save them the confusion and embarrassment that comes with it.
Do you know of any other food of a similar category? Please do let us know in the comments section; would love to hear from you.
