What you should take after eating garlic to avoid bad breath, according to health specialists

Nobody wants to have bad breath, a defect that embarrasses and produces inhibition, leading to problems communicating with people.

The Mayo Clinic assures that bad breath can lead to anxiety disorders. “It’s no surprise that stores are filled with chewing gum, mints, mouthwashes and other products designed to combat bad breath,” the official website reads. The causes of this problem can be many, but these include the consumption of certain foods.

For example, the United States Medical Clinic points out: “Breaking down of food particles on and around the teeth can increase the amount of bacteria and cause an unpleasant odor. Eating certain foods, such as onions, garlic, and spices, can also cause bad breath. After being digested, food enters the bloodstream, is transported to the lungs and affects breathing.”

Good oral hygiene (brushing and flossing, but also cleaning the tongue) is often sufficient to keep bad breath under control, but other times requires additional precautions and, in some cases, a dental consultation.

Why does garlic cause bad breath?

It has been said a thousand times that garlic is a beneficial product for health. And this is. But among its active ingredients it has one that generates an unpleasant odor to which our olfactory system is very sensitive.

Garlic releases sulfides because it contains sulfur. And these sulfides can remain in the mouth throughout the day, despite the effort of brushing your teeth or using menthol lozenges or mouthwashes.

The sulfuric compounds in garlic volatilize only when we chew or crush it, when we destroy its structure. The whole clove of garlic does not release them to the same extent.

By grinding the garlic clove, the alliin (which is odourless) becomes allicin, the substance that slowly continues its process of decomposition into sulphides, specifies the Revista con Salud portal.

Since this decomposition is slow, it lasts in the body for many hours, while circulating in the blood and organs. And it is also eliminated little by little through breath, sweat and urine.

How to Fight the Smell of Garlic Breath

Experts at Revista con Salud say that some studies have shown that chewing and eating fresh apples or mint leaves (both rich in polyphenols) are quite effective actions to combat the smell of garlic.

Others suggest that celery and green tea with lemon juice also alleviate the situation, as long as it is accompanied by thorough brushing to remove any debris that may continue its organic process in the mouth. And a mouthwash won’t hurt.

But what has proven to be most effective for eliminating the smell of garlic from the mouth and from the breath we exude is a good glass of hot or warm milk, letting each sip rest in the mouth before swallowing it. Milk has a protein that reacts to sulfides and neutralizes them.

Garlic is such a tasty ingredient that it is unavoidable for some foods. Now we can treat ourselves if we have a glass of milk handy.