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I used to have a coworker that I would HATE talking to because his breath reeked so badly. Don’t get me wrong, the dude was incredibly nice, he just stank. Whenever he stopped by my desk to chat, I would literally feel  nauseous from his breath. Yup. It was that bad. Like a wave of rotten food slapping you across the face.

Bad breath is a deal breaker on dates, with friends, and in business. You can be all that and a bag of chips, yet with stanky breath you ain’t got a shot. Let’s stop this epidemic! Everyone out there who can’t stand horrible breath, raise your hand cause I know I’m not alone!

So yeah. Obviously we all have our off days (hello, I thrive off of stinky food) but there are simple ways to freshen up. Therefore it’s good to know what foods combat odor. Here’s a list of 10 cures to bad breath.

Enjoy, folks :)

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1. Apples

Apples are packed with crunchy fiber goodness and help remove particles of food stuck in your teeth. They also stimulate saliva production, which kills bacteria. Think of it this way – an apple a day can keep the odor away!

2. Cinnamon

Cinnamon sticks contain essential oils that fight bad breath. Chewing on one works really well…but so does steeping a cinnamon stick in tea.

3. Green Tea

Sipping on green tea helps keep your breath from stinking. That’s because it contains antibacterial compounds that fight germs in your mouth.

4. Hazelnuts

When chewed, hazelnuts can combat bad breath. They are also rich in protein and vitamins, helping to keep your teeth and gums healthy.

5. Herbs (basil, cilantro, mint, parsley, rosemary)

Herbs (especially parsley) contain essential oils that combat bad breath. Consuming/chewing on them in small doses is a temporary fix to mask the odor, but if you regularly add them to your diet, you can achieve long term benefits due to their levels of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll neutralizes internal body odors before they leave the body.

6. Lemons

Planning to pucker up after chowing down on onions or garlic? Have some lemon! Lemon contains citric acid, which helps neutralize breath odor. To get the best benefit, eat the pulp.

7. Oranges

Any fruits that contain Vitamin C will help make your breath smell good. That’s because Vitamin C kills scent producing bacteria in your mouth. The more Vitamin C you consume, the more germs you will kill. Fruits high in Vitamin C are also usually juicy and provide your mouth with necessary moisture to knock bad breath.

8. Spices

There are some really great spices that you can suck/chew on to get rid of an odorous mouth, including fennel seeds, coriander seeds, and cardamom. They are similar to cinnamon in the regard that they contain essential oils that mask bad breath.

9. Water

This is my favorite one (and the “food” that is most readily available at a moment’s notice). As we all know, mouths produce saliva. Saliva contains oxygen and oxygen helps prevent the growth of bacteria. To keep saliva production going throughout the day, stay hydrated! Dry mouths will start to smell, so drink up.

10. Yogurt

The live active cultures in yogurt reduce stinky sulfites in your mouth. Not only that, but if included in your regular diet, yogurt will destroy unhealthy bacterial in your mouth and stomach. This will help prevent bad breath flare ups in the future.