Nothing can be as embarrassing as watching someone cringe the minute you open your mouth. However, you’re not alone. According to the Bad Breath Institute, 35-45% of the people in the world suffer from bad breath, a.k.a. halitosis. While the issue can be attributed to medical conditions such as periodontal disease, it is mainly caused by the bacteria in your mouth. Now a Dr. Dental dentist can help you control your breath through proper oral hygiene and preventative dental services, but you also need to cut down on certain foods to avoid scaring off potential love interests or employers.
Here’s a list of ten foods you should cut down on immediately to prevent your breath from chasing others away.
- Garlic – Known for even scaring the life out of vampires, garlic is the king of stinky foods. Not only will you have a tough time washing it out of your mouth, but your skin and lungs will be releasing the gas created by digesting it.
- Onions – Onions combined with garlic are lethal for the nose. Alone, they’re just as bad because they make your breath smell like the insides of a rotting catcher’s mitt.
- Tuna – Despite being one of the yummiest fillings for a sandwich, tuna is a fresh breath killer. It contains molecules that will make your breath smell like stale, cooked cabbage. So no kissing after tuna.
- Cheese – Another popular item in your sandwich, cheese is responsible for bad breath even if it isn’t smelly. Still, you have to admit that the smelliest cheese is the tastiest. So make sure to brush and rinse after binging on your favorite cheese.
- Horseradish Sauce – Horseradish sauce gets its flavor from a chemical compound that smells so putrid that animals think twice before eating it. So you may want to tone down or completely avoid horseradish sauce before a date or job interview.
- Dairy – As delicious as ice cream or a tall glass of milk may be, they’ll make you regret your decision to consume them once people complain about your breath. Dairy products’ dense protein content will fuel the bacteria in your mouth, making it emit obnoxious smells throughout.
- Peanuts – Peanuts are a threat to your oral hygiene and breath because they combine a mixture of smelly molecules. Not only will eating them stain your palate, your breath will smell like a mixture of rotten cabbage and stinky Asian lady beetles.
- Kombucha – Whole food shoppers and the newer generation of hippies tend to drink generous amounts of this fizzy, fermented tea. Unfortunately, the nasty burps that follow are nothing compared to the bad breath you’ll be sporting for hours later thanks to its foreign bacteria content.
- Indian Curry – Despite being famous for its antibacterial qualities, spicy Indian curry is bound to make your breath so bad that you’ll smell as exotic as a gutter.
- Coffee – Though its aroma is definitely tantalizing, coffee is bound to make others want to run away once inside your mouth. The acidity and natural enzymes of coffee combine with your saliva and motivate gastric juice to further turn off people around you.
Now you can reduce your consumption of each of these, especially before heading out. However, if you want to be safe from stinky breath, make sure to consume more water and chew on sugarless gum. Finally, don’t forget your dentist’s instructions and keep brushing your teeth for the cleanest, freshest breath.
