All natural bad breath cures that really work

October 13, 3:04 PMNY Wellness ExaminerRoger Ziegler

Good breath is one of those Zen things, no will notice if you have it, but they sure will if you don't.

So here are some nature-based bad breath cures that will keep your mouth in tip top shape.

Persistent bad breath, by the way, "can be a sign of periodontal disease," says dentist Elliot Brilliant in private practice in New York, "and some stomach conditions."

Periodontitis, it is also believed, can cause or play a role in heart disease. 

Constantly stinky breath has also been associated as a possible sign of kidney failure, diabetes, hormonal changes and lung problems. So you might want to have that checked out.

But if you're garden vareity stinky, then try these bad breath cures.

1. It's your floss to bear. Get rid of hunks of cheese, lettuce and dolphin from between your teeth with a good waxy dental floss. Spend the extra dollar and a get brand that doesn't rip between your tight teeth. This will remove the gunk and break up the bacteria that like to grow on it and cause that malodorous roll.

2. Brush your tongue. The more tongue you brush, the more you remove those bacteria that are just exhaling noxious odors. especially the back of your tongue. Or go pro and use a tongue scraper. In ayurvedic medicine, a clean tongue is a sign of good health and they make tongue scrapers for just such occasions.

3. A good fennel mixture - That bowl of stuff you see in the entrance of Indian restaurants. If usually has licorice too. Fennel and licorice have been used as bad breath cures from ever since. There's a reason they're there.

4. Gum is good - It's not great, in that it is not all natural and has sugar or artificial sweetener, but in a pinch it does a nice job of stimulating your salivary glands which clean away food particles and it freshens breath too. Cinnamon works extra well.

5. Chew leaves, bark and seeds. Even though a recent episode of Food Detectives on Food Network seemed to debunk parsley, I have found that chewing on parsley, cilantro or mint leaves does a great job. It also digests in your stomach to suppress those 'belching' smells.

I suggest chewing the parsley or mint leaves thoroughly or you’ll get bits in your mouth and want to spit them out. You can cut them up on a natural bamboo cutting board to keep down bacteria.

I also dig carrots, apples and celery. Although apples and carrots are not great, but better than nothing. I find celery works extra nice. The chewing breaks up the bacteria and the celery helps suppress the stomach gas. I find apples are good for settling a rough stomach after a spicy intake of super food kimchi.

6. Stay liquid. Drink water. Dry mouth encourages bacteria growth.

7. Vinegar. The miracle of the ages (and it's cheap too). Vinegar. Is there anything it can't do? Blend water and vinegar 50-50. Swish, rinse.