Certain foods, dry mouth, etc. can leave you with bad breath. But when you are on the go you cannot always rush to a restroom to brush your teeth. There are many mouth fresheners that are available in the market. But, how about carrying some natural breath fresheners readily available in your kitchen cabinet to help tame your bad mouth odour? Here is a list of few of them:
1. Fennel seeds or saunf
Fennel seeds are routinely chewed upon after meals to alleviate indigestion. But did you know that they are excellent mouth fresheners too? They increase saliva production and help fight germs causing bad breath. They also help reduce burping and acid reflux. Chew on a few seeds to sweeten your breath naturally.
2. Mint or pudina
Most of the breath fresheners available in the market have mint as their main ingredient. Mint leaves, great for garnishing dishes, can freshen up your breath instantly with their strong and cooling effect. Just munch on a few raw mint leaves or have a cup of mint tea.
3. Anise seeds or chotisaunf
They are a popular ingredient in desserts and baked products. They are also used to flavour liquor. Anethole present in these seeds gives them the characteristic sweet, aromatic flavour. Anise seeds’ strong aroma with antibacterial property makes them an effective breath freshener. You can either munch on them or soak them in boiling water to use as a natural mouthwash.
4. Parsley or ajamod
Do you find parsley to be a useless garnish on your dish? Well, think again. Parsley contains chlorophyll which has germ-fighting qualities. Save it for the end of your meal. It is an excellent breath freshener. Its oil is used in some breath fresheners and also in soaps and perfumes as a fragrance.
5. Clove or laung
Clove is used in cooking for its flavour and smell. It has been used since ages to alleviate toothaches too and is used in toothpastes and mouthwashes. Turns out, it’s a good breath deodorizer. Cloves are rich in the antibacterial eugenol. Go ahead and chew on some.
6. Cinnamon or dalchini
Cinnamon is also one of the spices which has an antibacterial property and helps reduce bad breath. You can either chew on the stick or add it to your cup of tea. You can also boil a few sticks in some water, allow it to cool and then use as a mouthwash!
7. Cardamom or elaichi
Cardamom seeds have an aromatic, sweet flavour and can be used to sweeten your breath. Pop one into your mouth and just munch for a few minutes to get rid of bad breath. Ending your meal with cardamom tea is not a bad idea either.
8. Citrus fruits
Fruits like orange, lime, etc. can help stimulate your salivary glands and encourage saliva production. Saliva neutralizes the acids produced by plaque and also helps remove dead cells and food particles that accumulate in the mouth.
9. Coriander or dhania
Foods with strong odours like onions and garlic can leave you with bad breath.The flavour of coriander is effective in masking it. Chew some fresh coriander leaves after your meal to avoid mouth odour. You can add a pinch of salt to roasted whole coriander seeds and eat as a mouth freshener.
Source: http://www.thehealthsite.com/oral-health/9-ways-to-lose-bad-breath-naturally/
