How to get rid of garlic breath
A senior citizen (he is 92 years old) called my attention to the fact that some of the plants I listed as natural blood thinners once appeared in my article on erectile dysfunction. I feel there is a need to talk about it here.
You might have seen “broad spectrum” on a leaflet inserted in the pack of the antibiotic prescribed by your doctor before. Broad-spectrum antibiotic refers to an antibiotic that acts on the two major bacterial groups, gram-positive and gram-negative. Put in another way, it is any antibiotic that acts against a wide range of disease-causing bacteria.
In nature too, most plants have many potentials; that is why for example, garlic is on the list of plants that are useful for those who suffer from erectile dysfunction. It lowers blood pressure, tops the list of blood thinners, has anti-cancer activity and does more. I hope it is clear now.
Some years ago, a friend visited me and being an Ekiti woman, I prepared pounded yam. I noticed she barely touched the soup. When I questioned her, she said she could perceive garlic in it. Truly, I used garlic while boiling the meat. On another occasion, a girl who had lived with us for some time, after eating one day, came to me and said, “Thanks for the food ma, the soup is the best I have eaten in this house.” I was shocked to hear that and I asked why she said so. She said, “It is because you did not put garlic.” Although I laughed that day, it was the last time I ever boiled my meat with garlic. If I have to use garlic, I make sure I use it alone.
There is a lot to love about garlic, but it does have one major downside: garlic breath. This discourages people from eating it. This week, I will be discussing how to stop bad breath from garlic. But why does garlic cause bad breath? Some compounds in it can be responsible for this. These include:
Allicin
When the insides of a garlic bulb are exposed to air, a substance called alliin turns into allicin, which then changes into several sulfur-containing compounds that give garlic its smell.
Allyl methyl sulfide
This compound is released from both garlic and onions when they are cut. Once eaten, the substance is absorbed into the bloodstream and emitted through the lungs and skin pores.
Cysteine sulfoxide
This sulfuric compound in garlic and onions causes an unpleasant odour on the breath almost immediately after the vegetables are eaten.
What can be done to stop garlic breath?
1: Eat fresh fruits and vegetables
Eating fresh produce with or after meals may cover up the smell of garlic. In one study, researchers reported that eating raw apples or raw lettuce significantly decreased the odour of garlic on the breath.
Chewing parsley after eating is an age-old remedy for garlic breath. Mint leaves have also been shown to significantly reduce garlic breath. A 2016 study found that when garlic was mixed with rosmarinic acid, it decreased the sulfuric compounds responsible for garlic breath. You will find rosmarinic acid in flavourful herbs like rosemary, sage, basil, oregano and marjoram.
2: Drink milk
Drinking a glass of milk with a garlic-heavy meal may reduce the concentration of compounds in the mouth that contain sulfur and cause bad odour. A 2010 study found that milk reduced garlic breath. The researchers found that this trick works best with full fat milk like whole milk than skimmed milk. Mixing milk with garlic in the mouth before swallowing had a higher odour-neutralising effect than drinking milk after eating the garlic in the trial.
3: Drink lemon water
Lemon juice may help to neutralise garlic on the breath. Adding a squeeze of fresh lemon juice (approximately one tablespoon) to a glass of water and drinking it after a garlic-rich meal also helps.
4: Remove the garlic’s core
When preparing a meal, it is possible to reduce the risk of developing garlic breath. Cut each garlic clove in half and remove the stem from the middle of the bulb before adding the bulb to the dish.
5: Drink lots of water
Rich hydration is also a key to eliminating garlic residue on the tongue. Increased water and saliva will help adequately flush the debris and get rid of bad breath.
6: Brush your teeth
When you brush your teeth, you clear away food particles. Brushing your teeth will help remove smelly allicin enzymes and reduce your stinky breath after a garlic-laden meal. In addition, a mint-flavoured toothpaste will mask the scent. If you are somewhere without a toothbrush handy, try rinsing your mouth with water. Although it is not as effective as brushing, it will remove some particles and improve your breath.
7: Rinse with mouthwash
A strong-smelling mouthwash such as one containing peppermint can cover up the smell of garlic breath.
8: Chewing gum
If you do not have much time, chew a piece of mint-flavoured gum to freshen your breath immediately after a garlic-laden meal.
9: Oil pulling
Oil pulling is an ancient practice that involves swishing oil in your mouth to remove bacteria and promote oral hygiene. Oil pulling has also shown promising results in controlling bad breath.
10: Ginger
It cleanses the palate with a host of odour-fighting compounds, the most potent being 6-gingerol. 6-gingerol activates enzymes in saliva that break down and neutralise those smelly sulphur compounds. Fresh ginger will work better. Chewing on a half-inch piece is more than enough.
11:Yogurt
The International & American Associations for Dental Research showed that eating three ounces of yoghurt a day over six weeks reduced hydrogen sulphide by 80%. Hydrogen sulphide smells like rotten eggs. Yoghurt is a great food to add to your arsenal because it works to fight bad breath in multiple ways.
12: Coffee beans
To get rid of garlic breath, you’ll want to chew on coffee beans. It may not taste as good as a warm cup of coffee, but it will do the trick.
13: Fennel seed
Similar to how mint leaves work to neutralise bad breath, fennel will leave your breath garlic-free. After you are done with your meal, just chew on some fennel seeds.
A study titled, ‘Deodorisation of Garlic Breath by Foods and the Role of Polyphenol Oxidase and Phenolic Compounds’ by Rita Mirondo et al, concludes that raw apple, raw lettuce and mint leaves significantly decreased all of the garlic breath volatiles in vivo.
Another study titled, ‘Effect of Milk on the Deodorisation of Malodorous Breath after Garlic Ingestion’ by Areerat Hansanugrum et al, concludes that the addition of milk to garlic before ingestion had a higher deodorising effect on the volatiles in the mouth than drinking milk after consuming garlic.
You might have been eating your garlic the wrong way all this while. The right way is to crush, chop or mince it and keep it away from heat for 10 minutes. During this time, the maximum allicin is created and stays intact during cooking.
Punch
