When I have bad breath

My Testimony

It’s not pleasant at all, but sometimes I have bad breath. I hope it’s not too often the case. We notice bad breath in others but hardly in ourselves. And unfortunately our “friends” don’t always dare to tell us… Even if the origin of bad breath is most often oral, for me it’s digestive. I now more or less know what triggers it and I try to avoid “risky” situations, or to prevent them, but it’s not always possible. When I drink red wine, eat a meal that’s too fatty, or during stressful periods, I feel (without intending a pun) heavy, whether it’s in my stomach, my mouth which becomes pasty, and probably my breath. So, like everything digestive, I resort to hydrosols!

My Tip

To be sure of your breath, it’s important to brush your teeth regularly. And the tongue. I find tongue brushing very unpleasant, especially at the root, but I force myself to do it at least twice a week. I also do a mouthwash with bay laurel hydrosol in the evening, after brushing my teeth. And an annual check-up at the dentist allows for treating a dental problem if necessary and preventing bacterial proliferation, a source of bad odors.
Apart from that, as soon as someone tells me or I feel like I have bad breath, I resort to dill hydrosol. In this case, I take one or two tablespoons, pure or diluted in a little water. I repeat several times during the day. And then, as it’s better to prevent than to cure, I take the initiative when it’s possible. In anticipation of a hearty meal, I drink water flavored with dill hydrosol from the day before. It will stimulate in advance all the digestive juices and optimize the different stages of digestion. This will limit the risks of bad breath.

What does Phytotherapy Say?

The origin of bad breath, or halitosis, is often oral-dental or ENT (infection or dental plaque, angina, cold) or digestive (stomach, liver problem). Anti-infectious plants like laurel, thyme or savory are interesting for mouthwash or gargling for everything localized in the mouth and throat. A variety of plants can also be used when the origin is digestive (basil, angelica, dill, green mint). Dill, with its choleretic and cholagogue properties (which stimulate the synthesis and excretion of bile), is particularly interesting. Dill hydrosol is made up of 75% carvone, a powerful antispasmodic molecule that promotes the secretion of bile by the liver and its release into the intestine. Bile helps dissolve fats, promoting the digestion of lipids. Dill hydrosol, by facilitating all digestive functions, is very effective in fighting bad breath.

Did You Know?

Like our hands, the carvone molecule exists in two forms, a right and a left. These two forms, called chiral, have an identical chemical composition (hence comparable properties) but a different smell. One of the two forms of carvone is found in dill, the other in green mint, both digestive but with a completely different smell.

I Use Hydrosols SAFELY

The tip proposed does not involve any particular contraindication, even over a prolonged period; it’s a classic food use.

ANETHUM GRAVEOLENS Dill

Originally from Asia Minor, dill is an annual herbaceous plant that grows spontaneously in Mediterranean regions. It’s a low-maintenance umbellifer, which likes the sun, arid soils. Dill, which can reach 1 m to 1.5 m in height, has light foliage that can be confused with that of fennel. It produces large umbels with yellow flowers, with a sweet, aniseed smell. Historically, dill has been widely used in cooking to preserve the freshness of food. It was already known in antiquity for treating digestive disorders.