Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 4: Fight bad breath with food
• Method 2 of 4: Fight bad breath with drinks
• Method 3 of 4: Reduce bad breath before and after a meal
• Method 4 of 4: Maintain good hygiene
• Tips

Onions and garlic are delicious and popular ingredients that can greatly enhance a dish. Garlic in particular is said to be beneficial for your health, including treating swimmers' eczema and reducing the risk of certain cancers. However, both onions and garlic can have uncomfortable side effects in the gut and mouth, especially bad breath. When you chop or crush a clove of garlic or an onion, it releases a chemical compound called allyl methyl sulfide, among other things. If you ingest this, it will be absorbed into the bloodstream and can cause you to sweat and your breath to smell for a day afterwards. Read this article to find out what methods there are to remove residues of these ingredients and avoid embarrassing bad breath.

To step

Method 1 of 4: Fight bad breath with food

1. Eat fruits. The same properties that cause fruit to oxidize (turning the skin brown when you take a bite) also fight bad breath caused by onions or garlic. Fruits that are particularly effective include apples, pears, plums, peaches, apricots, grapes, cherries, and eggplants.
2. Eat vegetables. Certain vegetables are very effective at fighting the chemical compounds in onions and garlic, including spinach, lettuce and potatoes. Eat these vegetables with a meal that is high in onions and garlic.
3. Add spices to your food. Basil and parsley are two of the herbs that effectively combat bad breath caused by onions and garlic. Add these herbs to your food or chew parsley afterwards.
4. Eat bread with your meal. A lack of carbohydrates can contribute to bad breath as well as have other negative effects on your health. Eating bread or other carbohydrate-rich foods will help fight bad breath.

Method 2 of 4: Fight bad breath with drinks

1. Drink green tea. Green tea contains polyphenols, chemical compounds from plants that help neutralize the sulfur compounds released by onions and garlic. The antioxidants in green tea are also effective in fighting bad breath.
2. Drink a glass of milk. Milk has been shown to be effective against garlic breath. Whole milk, in particular, reduces the amount of foul-smelling chemical compounds in your mouth.
3. Drink acidic drinks with a pH level below 3.6. Lemon, lime, grapefruit and cranberry juices, like many soft drinks, help fight the fragrance-producing enzyme alliinase, found in both onions and garlic.

Method 3 of 4: Reduce bad breath before and after a meal

1. Chew gum. Chewing gum after a meal stimulates saliva production in your mouth, which helps fight bad breath.
   • Look for gum with natural essential oils. Spearmint, peppermint and cinnamon oils have been shown to help fight the smelly bacteria in your mouth.
2. Chew coffee beans. This may be tricky to do, but chewing coffee beans has been shown to help reduce garlic breath. Spit out the beans after chewing.
   • Rubbing coffee beans on your hands (and then washing them) can help remove the smell of onions and garlic from your skin.
3. Eat less raw and cooked onions and garlic. If the other bad breath methods don't seem to work, you can cut down on onions and garlic in your meals to avoid bad breath.
   • If you eat garlic because it's good for your health, you could swap raw garlic for an odorless garlic supplement. Please note that there are many different garlic supplements that vary significantly in quality. Research is also continuing on the side effects of these supplements and their potential health benefits.

Method 4 of 4: Maintain good hygiene

1. Brush your teeth. Do this at least twice a day, and at least two minutes at a time. Buy a mini toothbrush and toothpaste to take with you if you regularly eat garlic or onions.
2. Floss your teeth. Brushing alone will only clean slightly more than half the surface of your teeth. So it's important to floss as well. Ideally, you do this after every meal.
3. Use mouthwash. An antibacterial mouthwash with chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide or cetylpyridinium chloride will help prevent bad breath. Many brands of mouthwash contain alcohol, which can dry out your mouth (one of the causes of bad breath). So avoid these brands if possible.
4. Use a tongue cleaner. Tiny particles and bacteria get trapped in the tissues on your tongue. Most of the bacteria that cause bad breath can be found on your tongue. When brushing your teeth, you should also clean your tongue with a tongue cleaner or a toothbrush.
5. Use a waterpick. With a waterpick or oral irrigator you remove food residues from and under your gums and between your teeth. If you don't get the food particles out of your teeth using the methods described above, they will rot in your mouth. A waterpick helps to remove stubborn food residues.

Tips

• Sometimes the smell of garlic also comes out through your pores or can linger in your clothes, so sprinkling yourself with perfume or eau de toilette is also a good idea.
• The foul smell of onion and garlic will disappear from your breath over time.