While it might be a question you’re too embarrassed to ask your dentist, it’s still one that plagues the minds of many garlic and onion lovers. How do you get rid of onion and garlic breath without giving up your love affair with it? The answer is easier than you think. And, it doesn’t involve saying goodbye to hummus or onion bhaji.
Firstly, it’s important to understand why it is that onions and garlic tend to linger on your breath, and why you’d never want to eat it before going to the dentist or an important business meeting. Onions and garlic are in the allium family which shares similar associations with the same compounds found in sulphur.
When you cut, chop, crush, or mash garlic and onions, the same gasses you find in sulphur are released from these ingredients which then cause bad breath. Then, when you digest them, you absorb them into your bloodstream and lungs which means the effects are longer-lasting than other foods.
Here are a few of the many things you can try which can help to make your trip to the dentist less embarrassing.
Mint
Most people chew a couple of mints or some chewing gum once they eat a meal laden with garlic or onions. However, that might not be enough. Instead, why not try fresh mint leaves? If you chew on these leaves, they can mask garlic breath with more efficacy than peppermint gum can.
Raw Apples
If you need something to freshen and cleanse your palate after a heavy meal, then raw apples can have more benefits than you think. Aside from being a delicious post-dinner snack, they also help to mask garlic breath. Even better, they are part of your 5+ a day requirement for a healthy lifestyle.
Brush and Floss
It seems like a given, but many people opt to chew gum after eating garlic and onions rather than combating the problem head-on. If you brush and floss after a meal of garlic and onions, you can get rid of bacteria that causes odours, as well as excess food. You can then keep your dentist happy and your breath fresher for longer.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar has a range of significant benefits, but a lesser known one is its ability to help remove bad breath caused by garlic, onions, and other odourful food. Apple cider is beneficial because it contains a supporter of good bacteria known as pectin. However, rather than drink it after you consume food, swallow it beforehand. Add one tablespoon to a glass of water before you eat dinner. Then, the garlic and onions will move quickly through your system while being beneficial for your digestive health.
If you’re not ready to say goodbye to onions and garlic, then you don’t have to. There are plenty of solutions out there that will put you in that safe zone for trips to your dentist and business meetings.
