How to Get Rid of Garlic Breath

Guide Note You may think you know what causes garlic breath and how to get rid of it. However, did you know that garlic breath comes from your lungs and not your mouth? There is only one cure for garlic breath but several methods are believed to reduce the severity of garlic breath and others are capable of masking it.

Table of Contents

Garlic Breath Tips

  1. Garlic breath comes from the lungs, not the mouth.
  2. Time is the only cure for garlic breath.
  3. Chewing parsley may reduce garlic breath.
  4. Yogurt can reduce gases in the mouth that cause garlic breath.
  5. Chewing gum and breath mints only mask odors.

Disclaimer The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please contact your doctor before using the information presented here.

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Introduction

  • Garlic has many health benefits and one major drawback: garlic breath.1 Of course, you could always avoid eating garlic, which is guaranteed to prevent this from occurring. That would mean giving up most Italian foods. Not to mention that this could lead to a rise in vampire attacks (well, maybe not). Either way, it is much simpler to understand what causes (besides eating garlic) and how to get rid of garlic breath.

What Causes and Cures Garlic Breath

  • (Creative Commons photo by Gio JL)
    (Creative Commons photo by Gio JL)
    There is only one cure for garlic breath: time.2 In order to understand why, you need to understand what causes garlic breath.
  1. Garlic contains an ingredient called allicin.
  2. When you eat garlic, allicin breaks down into hydrogen sulfide.3
  3. Hydrogen sulfide is the same compound that gives rotten eggs its smell.1
  4. Our bodies get rid of hydrogen sulfide by exhaling it.3

What May Help Neutralize Garlic Breath

  • Time is the only effective cure for garlic breath. However, there are some effective methods of neutralizing garlic odor. These methods may help reduce the severity of garlic breath or the duration of it.
  1. Parsley: Chewing on fresh parsley has been a long time remedy for bad breath. It is believed to work because it has high levels of chlorophyll that helps rid the body of toxins (such as hydrogen sulfide).7
  2. Fresh herbs: Herbs such as peppermint, coriander, spearmint, tarragon, eucalyptus, rosemary and cardamom are also reported to work similarly to the way parsley does.7 Simply pop a sprig in your mouth and chew.
  3. Lemons: Lemon juice is often used to remove garlic odor off the hands. Many people also believe it can be used to help eliminate garlic breath by chewing on the peels.8
  4. Yogurt: Eating 6 ounces of yogurt has been proven to reduced the levels of hydrogen sulfide in the mouth.9
  5. Green Tea: Green tea can reduce the concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the mouth.10
  6. Cardamom seeds: Chewing on cardamom seeds is supposed to work as well as parsley.11
  7. Fennel seeds: Fennel seeds, which are often served at Indian restaurants, are reported to neutralize the smell of garlic.1

How to Mask Garlic Breath

  1. Brush your teeth: According to Dr. Rob at MSN Health & Fitness, you should brush your teeth for at least two to three minutes.2
  2. Mouthwashes: Using a mouthwash can help mask bad breath odor, according to the American Dental Association.12 Try to find one that contains essential oils such as tea tree oil, peppermint oil or lemon oil that will help reduce volatile sulfur compounds in your mouth.13
  3. Chewing gum: Chewing gum can also help mask garlic odors.2
  4. Breath mints: According to WebMD, breath mints will also temporarily mask bad breath odors.14

Conclusion

  • Time is the only way to get rid of garlic breath. However, by reducing it as much as you can until it is gone, you will be make sure you keep from offending people around you. In the meantime, go ahead and check out Mahalo's pages on Italian Food, How to Make Garlic Butter and How to Make Pizza. If you're going to have garlic breath, you may as well enjoy it.

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References for How to Get Rid of Garlic Breath

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The New York Times: Unlocking the Benefits of Garlic (October 15, 2007)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 MSN Health & Fitness: Get Rid of Garlic Breath
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Sun: Garlic is Lifesaver October 16, 2007
  4. ↑ WebMD: Dental Health: Bad Breath
  5. ↑ MayoClinic.com: Bad Breath
  6. ↑ USA WEEKEND Magazine: Science 101: Garlic  WARNING: Ad-Heavy
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Wellsphere: Natural Alternatives to Altoids
  8. ↑ ReadersDigest.com: Garlic: The Herbal "Wonder Drug"
  9. ↑ WebMD: Yogurt: An Antidote to Bad Breath?
  10. ↑ Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology: Effect of Green Tea on Volatile Sulfur Compounds in Mouth Air
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Start Cooking: Curing Garlic Breath and Hands
  12. ↑ ADA.org: Oral Health Topics: Bad Breath (Halitosis)
  13. ↑ About.com: Home Remedies for Bad Breath  WARNING: Pop-ups
  14. ↑ WebMD: 8 Easy Steps to Banish Bad Breath


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