RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—If you’re someone who has to stand a good three feet away from your coworkers in the morning because their coffee-breath-infused conversations make you gag, you might be surprised by new research out of Israel suggesting certain components of coffee could actually freshen one’s breath. The findings were recently presented to members of the International Society for Breath Odor Research in Germany. That’s right, the International Society for Breath Odor.
THE DETAILS: Researchers used human saliva and mixed it with coffee in the laboratory and (surprisingly) found that the three brands tested—the Israeli brand Elite, Landwer Turkish coffee, and Taster’s Choice—actually inhibited the growth of bacteria that cause bad breath. “The lesson we learned here is one of humility,” says Mel Rosenberg, PhD, professor of microbiology at Tel Aviv University in Israel. He has studied bad breath for 20 years. “We expected coffee would cause bad breath, but there is something inside this magic brew that has the opposite effect.”
WHAT IT MEANS: Coffee may not be the bad-breath trigger it’s made out to be. This test was done in a petri dish, a very different setting from the more complicated environment inside our mouths. Still, Rosenberg says he hopes to isolate the bacteria-inhibiting molecule found in coffee, saying it could offer major (natural) antibacterial benefits that could knock down bad breath.
Until the advent of coffee-flavored mouthwash, here’s what you need to know about bad breath:
• Nix the milk. If you’re a java junkie, forego the lattes and take your coffee black for better breath. Also, make sure you drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated. Otherwise, you’re inviting bad breath bacteria to flourish in your mouth. “Coffee, which has a dehydrating effect in the mouth, becomes potent when mixed with milk, and can ferment into smelly substances,” says Rosenberg,
• Follow these freshening steps. Rosenberg suggests this system for keeping your breath smelling fresh:
1. Chew sugarless gum for 3 or 4 minutes after coffee, or after snacking, if you don’t have a toothbrush or floss with you.
2. Floss daily.
3. Clean the back of your tongue gently with a tongue cleaner.
4. Brush your teeth twice a day.
5. Drink lots of water so you have enough saliva.
6. Use a good mouth rinse at bedtime, not during the day. Bacteria breed at night when there’s hardly any flow of saliva in your mouth to wash away or inhibit them.
If a smell’s still lingering after a week of improved hygiene, see your doctor or dentist to try to pinpoint the source of the problem.
• Concoct your own gargle. Although opinions are divided, some studies have suggested that alcohol-based mouthwashes increase a person’s risk of developing certain cancers, such as oral and esophageal types. To make a safer, homemade version, mix extracts of sage, calendula, and myrrh gum, all typically available at your health food store, in equal parts, and gargle with the solution four times a day.
• Drop deli meat. Numerous studies have found that eating processed meat can be detrimental to your health (recent research went as far as saying it can shorten your life). But in the short term, it can also cause funky breath. Avoid meats like pastrami, salami, and pepperoni, because they leave oils behind that contribute to nasty breath for hours.
• Pick at parsley. It’s such a waste to use parsley as a garnish. Instead, eat it! Munching on a sprig will provide a potent breath boost.
• Teach them young. Good habits are taught early. If you want to make good hygiene more fun for the whole family, check out Rosenberg’s free online children’s stories.