Reasearchers have discovered that consuming probiotic bacteria in fermented foods can combat halitosis, or chronic bad breath, which affects more than a quarter of all adults, and can have an impact on both patients’ daily work and social activities. It can even result in anxiety, depression, social isolation and low self-esteem. 

The main cause of persistent bad breath is the result of mouth bacteria mixing with food debris left behind when proper dental hygiene isn’t maintained. A dirty tongue and the build-up of tartar between the teeth are often regarded as major causes of bad breath. The study conducted by Dr. Michael Schaefer of the Berlin Medical School and Dr. Paul Enck of the University of Tubingen in Germany was published in the journal BMJ Open. The results point to a possible simple solution—eating fermented foods—to combat halitosis when regular use of mouthwashes, breath sprays, scaling and tongue scraping have not done the trick. 

Data analysis from the study showed that breath odor scores fell significantly in those given probiotics including Lactobacillus salivarius, Lactobacillus reuteri, Streptococcus salivarius and Weissella cibaria in the form of supplements, compared with those that did not, irrespective of the length of the monitoring period. Probiotic bacteria are found in yogurt, sourdough bread, miso soup and other fermented foods. 

Sourced by Dr. Jonathan Richter, DDS, FAGD, owner of Cariodontal, located at 310 E. Shore Rd., Ste. 101, Great Neck, NY (516-282-0310/Cariodontal.com), and Manhattan Oasis Dentistry, 525 West End Ave., Ste. 1G, New York, NY (212-874-2880/ManhattanOasisDentistry.com).