The Absolute Fastest Way To Get Rid Of Garlic Breath
Do you love the taste of garlic, but avoid it for fear of developing a paint-peeling case of garlic breath? You are not alone. This flavorful vegetable is found in a plethora of popular dishes, such as garlic bread, honey garlic spare ribs, garlic butter shrimp, and creamy garlic dressing. It lurks within pasta sauces, sausages, rubs, and marinades too. Clearly, humans have developed a penchant for this odiferous flavoring — even if it does possess the ability to transform one's breath into a deadly weapon.
Garlic is much more than just a flavor enhancer. For one thing, it's a healthy addition to any diet with CNN reporting it contains vitamins B6 and C, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, and selenium. The Toronto Garlic Festival shares that people have been adding garlic to their culinary masterpieces since 3150 B.C. and that it was even found in Tutankhamen's tomb.
Without a doubt, garlic possesses both a huge fanbase and a rather interesting life story, but how can you get rid of wretched garlic breath?
Apples are a key ally in the battle against garlic breath
If you're a garlic addict and consistently seek out easy ways to eat more of it, there is good news. Thanks to a myriad of garlic-induced halitosis-fighting tricks, you can enjoy garlic without sending your nearest and dearest running for fresh air. You may want to forgo dessert, however, as some of these remedies require stomach space.
One popular trick is to eat an apple, a few mint leaves, or some lettuce. Research at Ohio State University showed that the enzymes in these three foods possess the power to neutralize the stench of garlic breath quite efficiently (via HuffPost). Thankfully, an apple wedge or a few mint sprigs aren't overly filling either. According to Medical News Today, drinking something acidic like lemon juice will also have a breath-freshening effect. If straight lemon juice is too sour, you can mix it with water and drink it. If you enjoy a spot of tea after a meal, there is good news, as green tea can also help erase the noxious aroma of garlic breath.
Parsley is another excellent breath freshener
Another enemy of garlic breath is the humble parsley plant. Taste of Home states that parsley's odor-neutralizing components, chlorophyll and polyphenols, are adept at defeating the sulfuric stench caused by garlic. They go on to add that herbs, such as thyme, basil, mint, cilantro, and dill, can also do the trick.
It turns out that a glass of milk can stop garlic breath in its tracks as well. According to one study, milk can reduce the "concentrations of volatiles" — which, in this case, would be the odors caused by garlic's components — in the head, mouth, and nose.
You can always brush your teeth, gargle some mouthwash, or gnaw on a stick of gum, but these methods simply mask the odor; they do nothing to remove it. Odds are that shortly after even the lengthiest of gargles, the garlic that still resides in your digestive system will have your breath smelling like a toxic waste dump once again. The aforementioned remedies are much more effective.
Now that your garlic-breath-fighting arsenal is complete, you can indulge without fear. Dig into that cheesy garlic bread. In fact, order it with extra garlic.