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Bad breath

General characteristics

General characteristics

Bad breath can have many causes ranging from eating strong smelling foods, smoking, dental decay or mouth infections, lung congestion and infection,  tonsillitis and throat infections, digestive problems and chronic constipation. Ultimately the underlying cause needs to be determined before treatment can be effective.
People who suffer from bad breath often have a dry mouth so herbs that increase saliva secretion help greatly.
It can be indicative of poor elimination and require cleansing of the major detoxifying organs i.e. the lungs, bowel, kidneys, liver and skin. This will need to be carried out gradually and gently using the cleanses outlined in the 'natural healing' section of this site. Start with the bowel or liver.

Diet and lifestyle

Diet and lifestyle

Eat more plant and cereal fibre daily to cleanse the digestive system.

Chewing food thoroughly and eating slowly and calmly will help to promote proper digestion and can therefore improve the breath if faulty digestion is the cause.

Don't drink water or fluids with your meal as this will dilute gastric acids and hinder the digestive process.

Eating an apple after meals is a very good way of freshening the breath and cleansing the whole mouth. Apples also provide a good source of plant fibre.

Chewing a sprig of parsley after meals will give a temporary breath freshening effect.

Useful herbs

Useful herbs

Chewing a pinch of seeds such as dill, fennel, celery seeds, aniseed and caraway will help to sweeten the breath and stimulate saliva secretion which helps to cleanse the mouth. They all improve digestion generally. Carry a little bag of mixed seeds with you and take a pinch when needed, especially after eating for example, and chew thoroughly before swallowing.
Gargle with a few drops of myrrh and peppermint tinctures in a small amount of water after meals.
If  tooth decay or ear/nose/throat infection are present gargle with the above mixture but add a few drops of goldenseal and echinacea tinctures to it.
Blue flag root stimulates the flow of saliva and can help remedy bad breath by relieving a dry mouth. A few drops in water 3 times daily may help.
If constipation and stagnation of the elimination channels are suspected then try a formula consisting of bitter herbs and blood cleansers such as dandelion root, gentian, peppermint, meadowsweet, sage, burdock and blue flag. Use equal parts of each and take a teaspoon in  a little water after meals.
Drink a cup of alfalfa tea daily.
A few drops of cascara tincture can help to keep the bowel moving and the wholw digestive sytem cleansed and have a positive impact on the breath.

Natural healing

Natural healing

Take a teaspoon of charcoal powder in water daily.
'Oil pulling' is an Ayurvedic technique that can bind with bacteria in the mouth, eliminating bad breath and improving the general health of the mouth. In the morning on an empty stomach take a tablespoon or so of organic cold pressed sunflower oil and 'pull' it through the teeth and around the mouth. Do this for a few minutes mixing the oil well with the saliva and squeezing it thoroughly all around the mouth, taking care not to swallow the oil. When you spit out the oil it should have turned a milky colour and be slightly frothy. Clean your teeth and rinse out your mouth to finish. This can be done every morning.
A half teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda in a little water daily will improve the health of the stomach and intestines and improve the breath. Swill thoroughly around the mouth  for a few minutes then spit out.
Use a tongue scraper or toothbrush to clean the tongue each morning.

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