Herbs For Bad Breath
Bad breath is often a sign of systemic toxicity, either in the colon, intestine, or mouth. It can also be due to chronic indigestion or malabsorption. When digestion is weak or sluggish, the food you eat undergoes fermentation and putrefaction in the gastrointestinal tract, leading to the formation of ama, which has a foul smell.
Peppermint tea refreshes your mouth but choose pure peppermint tea as it is caffeine-free. If it is mixed with other types of tea, this may not be the case. Its odor-killing prowess may be taken away by caffeine as it is a diuretic.
Anise seeds boiled in water for a few minutes are an easy home remedy, which you can gargle or drink. This licorice-flavored herb has been used for thousands of years as a breath freshener.
Dill leaves are full of chlorophyll that is a powerful breath freshener. You can boil it in water and use it as a mouthwash or just chew on a few dill seeds.
Spirulina, rinse your mouth with a commercial chlorophyll-rich “green” drink. Tablets can be chewed, alternatively.
Parsley - fresh parsley sprig can be chewed as needed. Parsley oil is used in some natural breath fresheners as a main ingredient.
Another popular product Clorets has also been known to combat bad odor. Clorets is mainly made of chlorophyll. For years chlorophyll is being used here as bad breath remedy. Usually parsley, algae and vegetables have been found to be rich in chlorophyll. Both Listerine and Clorets are age old remedies for curing bad breath. Now these are used commercially to develop products for bad breath prevention. Some however prefer to use these herbs in its pure form instead of purchasing its commercial products from the markets. All these can be used as effective treatment for bad breath.
Unpleasant odours emanate from the body due to accumulation of hardened mucus and other toxins in the nasal and oral passages, gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, blood and vagina.
Fenugreek seeds moistened with water become slightly mucilaginous and help to dissolve sticky substances like mucus. Fenugreek tea taken regularly helps remove accumulations from these spots where mouthwash and soap can never penetrate. While, cinnamon (dalchini) serves as a good mouth freshener, the aromatic flavoured cardamom (chhoti elaichi) seeds can be chewed for a brief period to remove foul smell.
Drink black tea, that is tea without milk. Researchers at the University of Illinois, USA, found that chemicals in tea can stop the growth of the bacteria responsible for bad breath, and may suppress the bad-smelling chemicals they produce. However, to get the most benefit, the tea must be drunk without milk.
Chewing sugar-free gum can be helpful because it stimulates the flow of saliva and involves movements of the jaw and cheeks. Both these factors help to remove food debris and cleanse the mouth.
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus was first used by Australian aborigines who found water in the roots of the plant growing in the outback. Inhaling the fragrant eucalyptus oil can alleviate symptoms from illness and disease that cause excessive mucus, such as sinusitis, bronchitis, asthma, emphysema and whooping cough. The major component in the eucalyptus leaf is eucalyptol which is a very strong oil. Eucalyptus oil can cause a reaction similar to menthol, in that it impacts the nasal receptors and can help relieve nasal congestion.
