For many people, garlic is one of the most common spices in their pantry. This herb can be used for sautéing tomato, chicken, shrimp, potato, stir-fry, or almost any other beloved salty dish making it just as versatile as a salt and pepper. But the thing about garlic is that if you enjoy a meal that contains it, anyone who has had a close conversation with you afterwards will surely let you know.
As delicious as garlic is in the middle of a meal, the taste is…not great. Because garlic is so pungent, it can stay in your mouth for hours after a meal – which isn’t exactly ideal. If anyone knows how to get rid of bad breath as quickly as possible, dentists are intimately familiar with oral health. Here, two reveal their top tips.
Why does garlic cause bad breath anyway?
New York General Dentist and Plastic Surgeon Dr. Lauren Baker, DAnd the He explains that the reason garlic causes bad breath is because of the compounds it contains. “Garlic is a member of the allium family and contains many sulfur compounds,” she says. “These sulfur-containing compounds can stay in a person’s breath for hours.”
Dr. Baker adds that when garlic is chopped or crushed, additional gas is released and mixed with gas-emitting bacteria, which then leads to bad breath. She adds that onions are also allium – a cousin to garlic – and can cause the same unpleasant odor.
Dentist Dr. Rashi Gupta DMD, Dr. Baker says compounds in garlic are the cause of bad breath. “When you have garlic pizza, sulfur-releasing bacteria trap in your mouth,” she says. “They just sit there and continue to emit a very distinct scent.”
So what can you do about it? Fortunately, you have some options.
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How to get rid of bad breath with garlic
1. Include neutral foods in your meal
Dr. Gupta says there are some ingredients you can incorporate into your meal that will work to reduce the strong taste of garlic. “Think of fresh, crunchy fruits and vegetables. Apples, pears, lettuce, mint, and parsley can help combat garlic odor. For example, she says you can use these ingredients to make a side salad to eat after enjoying garlic bread. Probiotic yogurt is another neutral food that Dr. Gupta says can help.
2. Sip green tea
Both dentists say that sipping green tea with or after your meal can also help. “Green tea contains polyphenols that help mask the odor although they won’t eliminate the odor completely,” says Dr. Baker. In other words, consider it lingering so you can steal to brush your teeth. Added benefit: Dr. Gupta says that drinking green tea has other benefits for oral health as well, including reduced risk of gum disease.
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Related: 50 Health Benefits of Drinking Green Tea
3. Brush your teeth
That’s an obvious solution, but Dr. Baker says it’s important to look for toothpaste that is neutral in pH and contains fluoride. This, she says, is important for good breath and general oral hygiene. “Toothpaste is not a one-size-fits-all,” Dr. Gupta adds, saying it’s important to consider your personal oral health needs. For example, do you have sensitive teeth? Interested in a product that contains a bleaching agent? Is gum health or plaque removal the biggest goal for oral health? These are all questions to think about when shopping for toothpaste.
When you head to the bathroom to brush your teeth after a garlic-filled meal, Dr. Gupta says to be sure to brush your tongue as well as your teeth. Otherwise, there’s a good chance your breath won’t be quite fresh when you’ve finished brushing.
Related: Should you brush your teeth before or after drinking coffee?
4. Rinse with mouthwash
Both dentists say that using mouthwash can also help eliminate bad breath, especially when done in conjunction with brushing. “A good mouthwash contains three main ingredients: fluoride to help prevent cavities, peroxide to whiten teeth, and essential oils to prevent plaque buildup,” says Dr. Gupta.
She adds that zinc is another ingredient in mouthwash to look for because it is particularly powerful at killing sulfur-producing bacteria. Dr. Baker says that a mouthwash with eucalyptol or menthol essential oils can especially help with bad breath.
5. Thread
If you brush your teeth and use mouthwash but you can still taste a bit of garlic in your mouth, it may be because you need to floss. The food usually gets stuck on your tongue or in your gums. Immediately, this causes bad breath, and eventually can lead to gum disease and tooth decay,” says Dr. Gupta. She says this is why flossing is so important. As for your tongue, she says using a tongue scraper can help get rid of Bad breath bacteria that you may lose.
You see, there’s absolutely no need to avoid garlic to keep your breath going – especially since the herb is packed with health benefits. With these solutions in mind, you can enjoy lemon-garlic shrimp without feeling the need to cover your mouth with your hand when talking to your friends (or dating) afterwards.
Next, find out if putting garlic on your nose works for a cold — and find out what doctors have to say about it.
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