Bad breath is not a disease but it is the source of social stigma.  If chronic, it can indicate an underlying medical problem and should be assessed by a health professional.  The most common causes of halitosis are: poor dental hygiene, poor digestion, and the accumulation of toxins in the body.

Other causes are heavy metal toxicity, respiratory infections, salivary disorders, liver disease, kidney disease, indigestion, constipation, smoking, dieting, fever and stress.

Natural treatment of halitosis involves supporting digestion so that toxins do not build up in the gastrointestinal tract.  It also involves cleansing toxins from the liver and kidneys so that the body does not have to use the breath to carry toxins out of the body.  In particular, toxins in the colon and small intestine can be reabsorbed and cause an odour in the mouth.  Consider doing a good colon cleanse (or tell someone you know!). Also consider doing a liver cleanse with herbs like milk thistle and dandelion.  Chlorophyll is an important detoxifier, as it will help clean toxins from a variety of organs and tissues in the body.  See the section on detoxification for more information on cleansing.

To help reduce bad breath, brush your teeth and tongue after every meal.  Replace your toothbrush monthly.  Every day, use a tongue scraper to remove dead cells and food debris from the tongue, rinse the mouth with chlorophyll and floss the teeth.  Do not use commercial mouthwash because the mouth becomes colonized with bacteria that are resistant to the antibacterial activity of the mouthwash.  Mouthwashes can also irritate the tissue in the mouth.

Bad breath can also be a sign that you are not digesting your food well enough.  When this happens, partially digested food ferments in the gut, causing the offensive odour.  Taking a complete enzyme formula will often reduce bad breath all together, especially when combined with an effective probiotic /acidophilus supplement.  There are available now chewable lozenge forms of probiotics with friendly bacteria for the mouth in them. Enzymes supplements are safe and convenient to use;  make sure you use them with every meal.

Use chewing gum, mints, toothpaste and mouthwash that contain xylitol.  Xylitol is a sugar that promotes the growth of bacteria that cause less tooth decay than the bacteria that are commonly found in the mouth.  Rinse the mouth with diluted essential oils of anise, cloves, myrrh, parsley, peppermint or rosemary to reduce halitosis.

Dietary considerations for halitosis include drinking lots of filtered water and eating a diet high in raw foods, fibre and plant protein.  Eat raw crunchy foods, like apples and carrots, to clean the teeth as you chew.  Fibre promotes bowel regularity for toxin removal.

By reducing the consumption of animal proteins one can reduce the amount of digestion by-products that are used by microbes to produce odour.  Avoid spicy foods, tuna, salami, pepperoni, pastrami, anchovies, garlic, onions, blue cheese, beer, coffee, whisky and wine.  These foods release odours for hours after consuming them.  Also avoid sticky and stringy foods that can get stuck between the teeth.

The following list of supplements can be used for halitosis.  Adult doses are given.  (CLICK SUPPLEMENT NAME FOR PRODUCTS).