Garlic has numerous health benefits but it also has a strong and unpleasant odor. Raw garlic, in particular has a pungent smell. So, how to get rid of garlic breath?
The most popular way to mask garlic breath temporarily is to pop a breath mint or chew a peppermint gum. Some experts believe that you cannot get rid of garlic bad breath until it has passed through the body. Thus, you can only reduce garlic smell but cannot remove it completely.
Basically, the smell of garlic appears in your breath and even sweat because it contains a sulfur compound (allyl methyl sulfide) that does not break down during the process of digestion. As a result, it is released through the lungs (while exhaling) and skin pores.
How to get rid of garlic breath naturally
- Chewing parsley is one of the most common natural cures for getting rid of garlic breath. In fact, having parsley dipped in vinegar is considered to be a more effective solution. Parsley contains high levels of chlorophyll that helps in neutralizing the odor by removing toxins from the body.
- Drinking a glass of milk, preferably full fat milk is highly beneficial in healing garlic breath problem. You can also eat about six ounces of yogurt.
- Cloves and cinnamon can help mask garlic smell naturally. You can have mashed potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, and mustard seeds as well. Moreover, suck on a piece of lemon, especially the peel.
- Another remedy to relieve garlic breath is to have something cold like ice cream. Plus, you can try lemonade. Eating chocolate after a garlic rich meal may also work.
- If there is lingering garlic smell in your hands then apply some lemon juice in your hands and then wash them. The acidic nature of lemon juice is useful in reducing garlic odor.Check out this video showing how to get rid of garlic smell from hands by rubbing your hands on stainless steel sink. You can get a stainless steel soap, too.
- Lettuce, basil, blueberries, oranges, apples and peaches have certain enzymes that can help you get rid of garlic breath fast. Thus, make sure you eat any of these items after having a meal richly flavored with garlic.
- Take fresh sprigs of herbs such as peppermint, spearmint, rosemary, eucalyptus, coriander, etc.
- Chewing fennel (saunf) and cardamom seeds (elaichi) after meal is valuable in refreshing the breath and hence, curing bad breath caused by garlic.
- Another natural treatment for getting rid of garlic breath is to chew some coffee beans for a while and then spit them out.
- Having green tea is also helpful in neutralizing the volatile compounds responsible for causing garlic breath.
When dealing with garlic bad breath, you must have observed that no amount of brushing, flossing, and gargling seems to work in eliminating the nasty garlic smell completely.
Nevertheless, after having a garlic rich meal, brush your teeth, use a tongue scraper and rinse your mouth with a good mouthwash (containing an aromatic essential oil like peppermint oil, etc.) to remove the sulfur compounds from the mouth.
Finally, follow any of the above mentioned home remedies on how to get rid of garlic breath. You can also take a mouth freshener. In case you are not fond of garlic but want to derive its health benefits then you can take odorless garlic supplements.
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