Treating Bad Breath with Activated Charcoal

Bad breath can be caused by several factors, including poor digestion, overconsumption of aromatic foods and herbs such as garlic, and inadequate fiber to move waste through the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in intestinal gas and bad breath. Activated charcoal can be consumed to help reduce bad breath.
Up to 5g activated charcoal can be taken by most healthy adults to help stem bad breath. Check with your doctor if you have never used it before.

Bad Breath

• Bad breath might result from poor digestion as the result of overeating or not having adequate hydrochloric acid (HCl) which is a stomach acid that digests food. Consuming digestive enzymes made from pineapple and papaya enzymes can help improve digestion and reduce bad breath.
  Eating smaller quantities of food makes it easier to digest and can also help eliminate bad breath.
  Chewing on fennel seeds, peppermint leaves or swishing the mouth with a strong tea made from two or three whole cloves and 1 tsp. powdered myrrh might also help.

What Is Activated Charcoal?

• Activated charcoal is made from wood and is ground up into a fine powder and placed in a steam chamber to activate properties that allow it to absorb toxins. In mainstream medicine, emergency personnel often use activated charcoal in cases where someone has ingested poisonous substances. The activated charcoal is able to absorb the toxins, and they are eliminated through the body's normal detoxification process.
  Activated charcoal can be purchased as capsules or as a powder online or in health food stores.

Dosage

• According to Health911.com, consuming about 5g activated charcoal may help reduce bad breath. The website also recommends eating a diet that includes fiber from fruits and vegetables, making sure digestion is actively working by eating yogurt with live cultures to feed beneficial bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, and practicing good dental hygiene by flossing and removing bacteria from the mouth with regular brushing.