There are common culprits of bad breathe that people conscious of their hygiene avoid like the plaque - onions, garlic, and spicy foods in general, in particular. But so many foods out there can cause halitosis or bad breathe, too. Some of these people absolutely did not know about and can be consuming them excessively without realizing these are the reason why their mouth can go from minty fresh to smelly in a breathe.
1. Coffee
Coffe lovers cry. It turns out coffee not only turns the teeth yellow as some dental experts warned. Caffeinated beverages (on top of which is coffee), can also cause bad breath.
The morning cup of java you believe you need in order to start your day right, just might be ruining your breath.
"The high acid content of coffee, along with your oral bacteria's affinity for acid, is what causes bad breath," Amrita Patel, DDS, of Broadway Cosmetic Dentistry, shares to Live Strong.
According to the National Institute of Health, caffeinated beverages in general can lead to dry mouth, or curtail the flow of saliva. The natural result? Bacteria and fungi happily growing, and causing foul-smelling breath.
This does not mean you should no longer drink coffee. For some people, that's technically impossible. Some are so used to starting their day with a fresh cup of coffee and drinking close to 8 cups a day.
Instead, you can try brushing your teeth afterwards, or eating an apple to balance out the enzymes. Drinking a lot of water is also one possible solution.
2. Citrus Fruits
It's easy to think citrus fruits can freshen up the mouth given its sour taste, but the opposite is true.
According to experts, the high acid content of orange and other citrus fruits can cause foul breath. Same as with coffee, the high acid levels in citrus fruits is a feasting ground for bacteria," Dr. Patel says.
Fruits, no matter how sour, contains sugar, which makes bacteria thrive.
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Again, this does not mean avoiding fruits in exchange for fresh-smelling breath. There's no denying fruits have unimaginable benefits to the body, after all.
Drinking lots of water and constant brushing for the teeth are crucial to avoid bad breath if you love fruits.
3. Peanut Butter
Peanut butter has its benefits. It has built a good rep through the years as the delicious spread that can help maintain good cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure. However, peanut butter can cause unsavory breath.
"Peanut butter has a lot of protein in it, but it's also very sticky and, thus, difficult for bacteria in your mouth to break down," Dr. Patel explains.
The sweeter the peanut butter is, the more potent it is in sabotaging one's breath.
4. Horseradish
This vegetable packs a lot of the good stuff. Most vegetables do. However, this one can also cause pungent breath, so it pays to be mindful.
According to Dr. Patel, horseradish contains the compound, isothiocyanat. This compound is crucial for protecting the vegetable from being eaten by animals, but it has a strong taste and effective in making the breath smell worse, Dr. Patel says.
Dental experts claimed that horseradish can be odorless when left intact, which can deceive people to its ability to make breath smell foul. But, it can produce one very smelly oil--mustard oil--when cut and grated.
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