Bad Breath

Bad Breath

Herbalist Tom Wolfe, owner of the Smile Herb Shop in College Park, Maryland, and a friend of mine for more than two decades, is a student of Persian literature and an admirer of Persian culture. He once told me about a high-class Persian dinner he attended in the Washington, D.C., area, in part for the food and in part to brush up his Farsi language skills.

On a large round board in the center of the table stood four large bowls filled with fresh coriander, parsley, spearmint and tarragon; the guests rolled the herbs in pita bread and munched them between courses to cleanse the palate. Not coincidentally, all of these herbs also have a long history of use as breath fresheners. In fact, the ancient custom of ending a meal with a sprig of stomach-soothing, breath-freshening mint evolved into our use of after-dinner mints.

By the time the meal was over, Wolfe told me, nearly a pound of fresh herbs had been consumed in these Persian Phytochemical Pita Sandwiches. Which brings me to my first herbal tip in this chapter--for a quick breath cleanup at a restaurant, save the decorative parsley sprig and eat it last.

Bad Breath Basics

I've always said that bad breath is better than no breath at all. But when it comes to halitosis, I'm a hypochondriac. I'm by no means alone. Convene a convention of everyone who's certain their breath is always sweet-smelling, and you'd have an empty auditorium. It's no wonder that Americans spend more than $200 million a year on breath-freshening products.

Most bad breath is caused by bacteria in the mouth. Bacteria produce wastes that smell, well, bad. During the day, oxygen-rich saliva acts as a natural mouthwash, keeping oral bacteria largely at bay. But at night, salivation slows, and the chemical environment of the mouth shifts from mildly acidic to mildly alkaline, which encourages the growth of odor-causing bacteria. By morning, you have what those commercials call "morning mouth." An herbal mouthwash can help as much as, or more than, any of the store-bought products. The recipe appears on the opposite page.

In at least one-third of people with halitosis, the cause is gum (periodontal) disease. Bacteria worm their way down into the gums below the tooth line, where not even the fanciest toothbrush can reach. As they grow, they destroy gum tissue. If not treated, this gum damage eventually causes tooth loss. At the same time, the bacteria release the wastes that cause bad breath.

Flossing can help control gum disease. So can a mouthwash containing the right herbs. But chronic halitosis may also be a sign of several other conditions, according to Israel Kleinberg, M.D., chairman of the Department of Oral Biology and Pathology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Some are quite serious: cirrhosis of the liver, diabetes, kidney failure and cancer in the upper respiratory tract, among others. If your bad breath just won't quit, it's a good idea to discuss it with your doctor.

Green Pharmacy for Bad Breath

Most bad breath is just a passing inconvenience, and there are a number of herbs that can help erase it.

Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum). In my database, cardamom is the richest source of the compound cineole, a potent antiseptic that also kills bad breath bacteria. And it may have more than just a breath-freshening benefit if you use it during a romantic date. Arab cultures consider it an aphrodisiac. If you're not partial to my Halitosisade, try chewing cardamom fruits (seeds). I chew them for a while and then spit them out. I also add them to herbal teas and liqueurs.

Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus). Many commercial mouthwashes contain alcohol, which helps kill odor-causing bacteria, and eucalyptol, a compound that is derived from eucalyptus oil and is rich in cineole.

Instead of buying expensive mouthwashes, you can simply mix up some of my own unique Halitosisade using crushed eucalyptus leaves. No access to eucalyptus? No problem.

Many other herbs are also rich in cineole. While none of them except cardamom come close to eucalyptus's cineole content, any of these herbs would help freshen the breath: spearmint, rosemary, sweet Annie, ginger, nutmeg, lavender, bee balm, peppermint, tansy, yar-row, cinnamon, basil, turmeric, lemon leaf, hyssop, tarragon, lemon verbena or fennel.

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) and other plants rich in chlorophyll. My cousin Suzie, who has high blood pressure, called recently to ask what I might recommend. I advised her to take garlic to lower her blood pressure, plus parsley to minimize the halitosis caused by the garlic. Bright green papaya is a rich source of the green plant pigment, chlorophyll, which is a powerful breath freshener. Munch some parsley after meals, after drinking coffee or after eating or drinking anything that might cause malodorous breath.

In fact, it's a good idea to refrigerate fresh sprigs of parsley and other plants rich in chlorophyll, notably basil and cilantro, and nibble as needed.

Anise (Pimpinella anisum). The seeds of this licorice-flavored herb have been used for thousands of years to freshen the breath. I'm not surprised, because it works. Boil a few teaspoons of seeds in a cup of water for a few minutes. Strain, then drink or use as a mouthwash.

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum). Coriander is a Cantonese folk remedy for bad breath. To use this herb, add a few ounces of fresh coriander (also known as cilantro), to two cups of water and boil for a few minutes. Strain, then drink or use as a mouthwash.

Dill (Anethum graveolens). Like papaya, dill is rich in chlorophyll. Try dill tea after meals; use one to two teaspoons of leaves or mashed seeds per cup of boiling water. Or simply chew on a few dill seeds to freshen your breath. (If you are pregnant, using dill in medicinal amounts could cause problems. You should reserve it for occasional, moderate use.)

Peppermint (Mentha piperita). Peppermint tea is highly recommended for halitosis, with good reason. Aromatic peppermint oil is a potent antiseptic, but it is toxic and should never be ingested.

Peppermint This mint has long been grown commercially to flavor everything from candies and liqueurs to toothpastes.

Sage (Salvia officinalis). An herbalist I respect recommends gargling several times a day with warm sage tea for mouth sores and bad breath. Sage has breath-freshening properties similar to papaya and peppermint, so I agree with him.

Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa). If you like thyme, you'll like wild bergamot, either by itself or mixed into other herb teas. It contains some of the same antiseptic compounds used in commercial breath fresheners. Use two teaspoons per cup of boiling water and steep for ten minutes.

Clove (Syzygium aromaticum). Before the people in some ancient Asian cultures were permitted to see their king, they had to chew cloves to freshen their breath. This herb's powerfully aromatic oil is antibacterial. Add several tablespoons to about a pint of vodka and steep for a few days to make a pleasant-tasting mouthwash. Or brew a tea using a teaspoon or two of dried herb.