There are various food products that help control the bad breath smell that exists in people’s mouths. As we have previously discussed, halitosis is primarily caused by the volatile sulfur compounds (also known as VSCs) like H2S and CH3SH produced in the mouth. Bacteria in the mouth convert proteins into substances cysteine and methionine, and these are metabolized into VSCs. In general, halitosis cures focus on controlling the number of “bad” bacteria in the mouth.
There is a strong relationship between the natural antioxidants of green tea and good health, since it has been shown to have antimicrobial and deodorizing effects. For instance, green tea can encourage strength, energy, and decrease a person’s chance for getting cancer. Methyl mercaptan, as you may have previously read, is one of the foul-smelling volatile sulfur compounds that cause bad breath. Along with other plant extracts, green tea extracts were analyzed with gas chromatography to see how strong their effects were on neutralizing the smell of methyl mercaptan.
Research has shown that green tea extracts can deodorize multiple foul-smelling compounds in a person’s mouth, which can exist there from eating meat, smoking tobacco, and so on.
The components and properties of green tea can help decrease the chances of someone having cavities and gum disease. It helps mimize the effects of bleeding gums by helping the blood in the mouth clot.
The deodorizing activity of green tea polyphenols is actually stronger than that of sodium copper chlorophyllin, a derivative of chlorophyll that is known to reduce odors. Green tea also inhibits a bacteria called Streptococcus mutans, which is a major cause of tooth decay. Green tea polyphenols also have a lot of positive effects for health issues outside of the oral cavity.
Sources: Chemistry and Applications of Green Tea by Takehiko Yamamoto
Centre national de la recherche scientifique