How to Get Rid of Garlic Breath Fast

One of the most important ingredients in any dish for me is garlic. I love it! I love all styles of food; French, Italian, Spanish, South American, Chinese and Indian, etc. And, of course, tasty garlic is prevalent in all these great styles of cooking.

But garlic just doesn't taste great, it has very many health benefits too, with studies showing that it may lower the risk of some cancers and heart disease.

Now, here's the thing; even if you love the taste of garlic and the aroma while it is being cooked, the smell on your breath after eating it is atrocious for anybody near you. In fact it can be quite overwhelming for them and hugely embarrassing for you.

But not to worry, here, you'll discover some simple natural ways to get rid of garlic on your breath fast.

There are many foods that make your breath smell, but garlic does seem to be one of the worst, if not the worst. So why does this happen?

Garlic contains allicin which produces volatile sulfur compounds when it breaks down. Because they are volatile, these compounds produce gases in your mouth when you chew raw garlic or garlic food, thus giving you the dreaded garlic breath.

And these sulfur compounds will remain there -- trapped in tooth cavities, between teeth, below the gumline and especially at the back of the tongue -- until they eventually break down and / or are flushed out through brushing, flossing, rinsing, and so on.

But even after all that you can still be left with garlic breath. Why?

The culprit is a particular volatile sulfur compound, allyl methyl sulfide (AMS), produced in your gut (not in your mouth as with the other compounds) during the metabolism of garlic. AMS does not break down as quickly as the other sulfur compounds and so can remain in your body in significant amounts for many hours, even days.

What makes it so special is that it is reabsorbed into your bloodstream and makes its way to your lungs, kidneys and skin for excretion. AMS gas will therefore travel from your lungs to your mouth when you exhale, leaving you with horrible garlic breath. And, it will also give off a bodily odor as it is excreted through your skin.

Here are 6 tips on how to get rid of garlic breath as fast as possible...

1. Milk

According to a study carried out by the Ohio State University, drinking milk -- particulalry before or during a meal -- has the ability to reduce garlic breath.

It seems to work in two ways: as a liquid it works as a mouthwash and the fat in the milk neutralizes the sulfur. So full fat milk is best!

Interestingly, the study implies that milk may be the most effective of all the foods studied so far in terms of helping to get rid of garlic breath.

2. Fruit

Eat lots of fruit, particularly pineapples, apples, kiwis, and berries. Their natural enzymes can help to break down sulfur compounds.

3. Mushrooms

Mushrooms contain polyphenols (antioxidant enzymes) which can help to neutralize the effect that garlic has on the breath. So add them in salads, sauces, soups, and so on. They are more effective when mixed in the garlic dish itself.

4. Parsley

A well-known folk remedy for garlic breath is parsley, although its effectiveness hasn't been scientifically proven.

However, it is known that plant chemicals like chlorophyll and polyphenols bind to the sulfur compounds and it's this that may help to neutralize the bad odor.

Other herbs that work in the same way as parsley are basil, mint, thyme, dill and cilantro.

Eat them raw, but, as with the mushrooms, they are particularly effective when actually in the garlic dish or eaten separately but at the same time as the garlic meal.

5. Green Tea

There are polyphenols in green tea too, so drink green tea before or during your garlicy meal.

6. Mints and Mouthwashes

Although mouthwashes and sucking mints may help to reduce the garlic odor produced in the mouth, they cannot help with garlic breath arising from AMS in the lungs and the skin. At best all they can do is help to 'mask' the odor somewhat.

http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/nutrition_news_information/foods_to_ward_off_garlic_breath
http://healthyliving.msn.com/health-wellness/oral-care/how-to-get-rid-of-garlic-breath-1
http://www.rd.com/slideshows/5-fresh-ways-to-deal-with-garlic-breath/
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/19991127/garlic-bad-breath-king
http://www.breathmd.com/garlic-breath.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garlic_breath
http://chemistrytwig.com/tag/allyl-methyl-sulfate/

The content of this Hub is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to be a substitute for proper medical diagnosis, treatment or advice, and you should not assume that it is. Always consult your health-care provider / physician / doctor before taking any medications, natural remedies, supplements, or making any major changes to your diet.