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Bad breath is big business because it is a huge problem. Americans spent a total of $6.7 billion on mouth-freshening products in 2018, according to Euromonitor International, a market-research firm. But you know better: you want a more natural way to solve this problem. Today we’ll look at how to use herbs for bad breath.

Bad smelling mouth concept

Table of Contents

What causes bad breath

Like acne or flatulence, chronic bad breath could signal the presence of another condition:

chronic sinus
liver problems
lung infections
diabetes

In this case, you should have a talk with your doctor to investigate what’s going on in your body.

But the most common causes of bad breath are:

gum disease
lack of hydration
smoking
drinking coffee
eating pungent foods (onion and garlic)
oral bacteria

How to know for sure you have bad breath

There are many people who don’t actually realize they have bad breath. Maybe they got used to it, or maybe they are just not perceptive.

Here are some ways to find out if your breath stinks:

you have bad taste in your mouth
your floss smells after using it
use a tongue scraper and smell what you scraped. you can do this withe the back of a spoon too, if you don’t use a tongue scraper)
lick the back of your hand and smell it
wipe your tongue on a cotton ball and smell it
ask someone you trust
ask your dentist

Common methods for getting rid of bad breath

Breath mints and mouthwash are only temporary solutions with which you often find yourself back at square one.

Mouthwash usually contains alcohol, which exacerbates the problem, by drying the mouth. Even sugarless mints don’t do that well at masking foul-smelling odors. It is an embarrassing condition to have, and could keep you from having a meaningful relationship.

Flossing and drinking plenty of water regularly usually do the trick. But what if you want something that works faster? Or what if you can’t stand the taste of synthetic mouthwash?

Well, you could make your own. All you need to do is look in your own kitchen for a natural home remedy.

How To Use Herbs For Bad Breath

Here are six herbs that will help transform your stinky breath into sweet smelling breath again. See how you can use these herbs to your advantage.

Parsley

Parsley combats garlic well, and it is also effective against the putrid aftertaste of coffee. Save these decorative sprigs from your dinner till after you are done.

Peppermint

Peppermint tea refreshes your mouth, but it's best to choose pure peppermint tea as it is caffeine-free. If it is mixed with other types of tea, this may not be the case. Its odor-killing prowess may be taken away by caffeine as it is a diuretic.

Anise seeds

Anise seeds boiled in water for a few minutes are an easy home remedy, which you can gargle or drink. This licorice-flavored herb has been used for thousands of years as a breath freshener.

Dill

Dill leaves are full of chlorophyll that is a powerful breath freshener. You can boil them in water and use concoction as a mouthwash or just chew on a few dill seeds.