The article was prepared by a specialist for informational purposes only. We urge you not to self-medicate. When the first symptoms appear, consult a doctor.
The smell of garlic from the mouth after eating it is felt by others for up to 3-4 days. In order not to give up an extremely healthy product, you need to know the tricks on how to get rid of the smell of garlic from your mouth.
Why does intact garlic have almost no smell?
Probably everyone is familiar with this phenomenon: a whole clove almost does not spread a specific smell around itself. However, once you cut it or bite it, the aroma spreads throughout the house. What is the reason for such a bright effect?
It's all about a special substance - allicin, contained in garlic. After cells are damaged by a cut or other injury, a chemical reaction begins, based on the combination of two substances that were previously isolated from each other. Destroyed vacuoles open the way for their interaction; as a result of the reaction, a specific odor is released.
Thanks to allicin, garlic has received a natural remedy against rodents and fungi. Mankind has known about the properties of garlic to destroy bacteria and fungi for a very long time. The protection of this vegetable from damage, provided by nature, allowed man to turn its healing qualities to his benefit.
How is garlic odor formed? Education mechanism
If even with minimal damage the clove smells strongly, then when you chop the garlic in a meat grinder or garlic press, the aroma becomes even more powerful.
The destruction of the cell structure of garlic leads to the combination of the following chemicals:
- Alliin is an amino acid;
- Alliinase is an enzyme.
They are initially contained in the same cell, but are isolated from each other by a special membrane. Alliin is contained in the cell cytoplasm, alliinase is found in the vacuoles of this cell. When the membrane is destroyed, the enzyme combines with an amino acid. The result of this reaction is the release of allicin, which contains about 70 compounds containing hydrogen sulfide.
The benefits of allicin for human health are undeniable. Almost all healing properties are associated with the presence of this chemical compound in garlic. Those who do not know how to remove the smell of garlic from their mouth and try to swallow it whole are making a mistake. An intact clove that does not contain allicin is devoid of all beneficial properties.
Ways to remove the smell of garlic in your mouth
Solving the problem of unpleasant odor can be quite simple and quick. You just need to know simple secrets.
The following methods will help you quickly and effectively get rid of garlic aroma.
How to remove the smell of garlic in your mouth with food
To get rid of garlic odor, you can use some products available to everyone.
Recommended reading: Benefits of plums for the body
- Fresh parsley or dill. You need to chew the greens slowly and thoroughly, and then do not drink liquid for a certain time. The aroma of herbs will overwhelm the aroma of garlic.
- Nuts. This method is suitable if no more than 2 hours have passed since consuming garlic. You need to eat a small handful of nuts (walnuts, nutmeg, almonds or hazelnuts). They will help neutralize the aroma.
- Fresh citrus fruits (orange, lemon, tangerine). Compared to other methods, citrus fruits are less effective in combating garlic odor, but this method can be used before an interview or an important meeting, as it is convenient and accessible anywhere and anytime.
- Fruits that turn black after cutting (apples, pears, plums and apricots). These fruits trigger the oxidation reaction of esters containing sulfur, thereby helping to get rid of unpleasant amber in the mouth.
- Bakery products, or rather the carbohydrates they contain, trigger an oxidation reaction, which reduces the garlic flavor. Usually, eating 1 or 2 slices of bread is enough.
We recommend reading: What are the benefits of almonds, properties and contraindications
Cardamom also does a good job of eliminating unpleasant aroma. You just need to chew a small amount of grains and the aroma will disappear.
Advice! To achieve maximum effect, you should use any of the methods immediately after eating garlic.
How to get rid of garlic smell in your mouth with drinks
Drinks also help get rid of the garlic spirit. Among the most effective, several compositions can be distinguished.
- A milk drink rich in fat binds ester compounds and removes them out, preventing them from entering the blood. This method is one of the most effective in combating garlic odor.
- Green tea, which has antioxidant properties, contains polyphenols that neutralize sulfur compounds.
- Coffee (especially coffee made in a coffee maker) helps to cover up the garlic flavor.
- Fenugreek is one of the most effective remedies for garlic spirit. The infusion should be prepared in a water bath, adding 1 tsp to 500 ml of water. seeds
- The esters contained in mint will help get rid of the unpleasant odor, but only for a short time. You can prepare the infusion as follows: pour mint leaves into 250 ml of boiling water and let the solution steep for 5-15 minutes, then drink completely.
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice masks the garlic aroma well and freshens breath. Both canned and freshly squeezed lemon juice will do.
- Cinnamon tincture has antiseptic and refreshing properties. You can prepare the tincture according to the following recipe: add 10 tbsp to 200 g of vodka. l. crushed cinnamon, then infuse the resulting mixture for 2 weeks. Then the tincture must be strained through a sieve and poured into a special bottle or jar.
These products should be used as a mouth rinse or taken orally after meals.
How to Neutralize Garlic Odor with Chewing Gums and Candies
Chewing candies and gum also help freshen your breath, albeit for a short time:
- Chewing gum will help you forget about the unpleasant odor for a while. It is preferable that it be mint, but citrus or fruity will also work.
- Candy is also a good breath freshener. As with chewing gum, you can use mint, citrus or fruit candies.
Everyone can choose for themselves the method that will be most convenient.
How to Kill Garlic Odor in Your Mouth Using Oral Hygiene Products
Don’t forget about oral hygiene products, which will help remove garlic residues and, accordingly, get rid of the obsessive odor.
The following methods will help:
- teeth cleaning;
- using a tongue scraper;
- using dental floss;
- irrigator;
- use of special sprays and rinses.
Brushing your teeth with mint or menthol toothpaste can help freshen your breath. Be sure to clean your tongue with the back of the brush.
To best clean your tongue, it is best to use a special scraper, which can be purchased at a regular pharmacy. Using it will “mute” the smell a little and make it less pronounced.
Using mint-flavored dental floss, you can not only remove food debris from between teeth, but also eliminate the garlic smell.
The irrigator will help remove plaque and food debris from the teeth and interdental spaces.
A mouthwash based on mint or other herbs perfectly neutralizes unpleasant odors, and also removes food debris and disinfects the oral cavity.
Oral spray also copes well with the task, but not every composition is suitable. You need to look for a product that says it is designed to eliminate the smell of garlic and onions.
Advice! Using these methods together will help achieve the best result.
other methods
There are several other effective ways.
- Activated carbon. 2-3 tablets of activated carbon will help speed up digestion and remove unwanted substances from the body.
- Anti-police agent. Despite the fact that the product was originally invented to neutralize the smell of fumes, it also copes well with garlic amber.
- Citrus fruit peel. A small amount of any citrus fruit peel will help freshen your breath. It is advisable to chew the peel immediately after eating.
- Coffee beans, just like coffee, do an excellent job of removing any odor. It is enough to chew a small amount of grains for a few minutes and then swallow them.
- A solution of salt and water. These 2 components will help get rid of the unpleasant odor. You need to mix salt and baking soda with water and rinse your mouth with the resulting mixture.
- Mint-flavored tablets won't completely neutralize the flavor, but they will help mask it for a while.
- Stainless steel. No matter how strange it may sound, a stainless steel spoon helps get rid of the unpleasant aroma. To do this, you need to hold the spoon in your mouth for a while.
- Bay leaf. The essential oils contained in bay leaves help get rid of unpleasant aroma: to do this, take peeled bay leaves and then chew them for 5 minutes.
- Cloves have a persistent aroma that can drown out any unpleasant odors. To do this, you need to take several clove buds and, after chewing them thoroughly, swallow them.
- Lettuce does not have a strong odor, but it has an effect on a chemical level. It contains substances that destroy allyl methyl sulfide gas compounds. You just need to eat a few washed leaves and the repulsive smell will disappear. The main thing is that the leaves are fresh.
Advice! To get rid of the unpleasant odor, you can eat some fresh celery.
We recommend reading: Celery: beneficial properties and contraindications
What determines the persistence of garlic aroma?
Allicin is an unstable compound; it is destroyed as soon as it is formed. That is why, to preserve the aroma and beneficial properties, garlic is not heated or fried; it is added to dishes only at the end of cooking. Pickling garlic in whole cloves as part of preparations completely deprives it of its bactericidal properties.
During long-term storage, hydrogen sulfide compounds evaporate from the garlic heads. The most aromatic garlic is the one that was harvested not so long ago. After winter storage, no more than 5% of the biologically active substances from which allicin is formed remain in this product.
Rinse aids
Dentists recommend that lovers of spicy dishes with garlic always have mouthwash with them. This is an excellent hygiene product that prevents gum and tooth diseases. The rinse aid also effectively removes unpleasant odors. The essential oils in the composition neutralize the sulfur compounds in garlic.
List of recommended rinses:
- Listerine;
- Splat Complete;
- ORAL-B.
Fragrant garlic adds piquancy to dishes. It is also beneficial during cold and flu season. But the smell that is then heard from the mouth makes many people stop using it. And completely in vain. There are many ways to deal with the characteristic train. After the garlic dish, eat an apple, brush your teeth, and apply mouthwash. Then no one will guess what you just ate.
How to get rid of garlic odor from your mouth quickly and effectively
There are many ways to remove the smell of garlic from your mouth. Essentially, to remove odor, you need to neutralize those same 70 essential sulfur-containing compounds. Enzymes in the human digestive system are unable to break down allicin, causing others to endure a persistent odor from the mouth of a garlic lover.
Attention: the smell does not only come from the mouth or the digestive tract!
His sources:
- lungs,
- skin (with sweat);
- kidneys (with urine).
How to neutralize or at least reduce an obsessive unpleasant odor?
Carrots, potatoes, mushrooms
Combine garlic with other vegetables and mushrooms in dishes (Photo: ru.freepik.com)
These products partially neutralize the smell of garlic. Therefore, it is logical to add it in fresh or granulated form to stewed vegetables and mushrooms. Then the aroma will not be so strong.
Try not to eat foods with garlic and onions before an important meeting. This will help you maintain confidence and not worry about fresh breath.
What ways do you know to quickly eliminate garlic and onion breath? Tell us in the comments.
Removing the smell of garlic using 5 hygiene procedures
There are several simple ways to get rid of the smell of garlic from your mouth after eating dishes richly seasoned with this spicy product.
Hygiene procedures:
- Cleaning teeth using toothpaste;
- Removing food between teeth using dental floss;
- Rinsing the mouth with a product with antibacterial properties (containing chlorhexidine, cetylpyrinidium chloride);
- Cleaning the tongue with a special scraper;
- Finally, use an irrigator to cleanse the oral cavity.
If it is impossible to carry out these activities for some reason, rinsing your mouth with a solution of salt and baking soda will help remove the smell. Rinsing your dishes and hands with this mixture will have a similar effect.
Foods and drinks that eliminate odor
You can “seize” the garlic smell:
- To freshen your breath, you need to wash a few sprigs of dill and chew them after eating.
- Instead of dill, you can chew parsley leaves.
- Essential oils, which are contained in the pulp and peel of citrus fruits, interrupt the smell of garlic. It is enough to eat a few slices of orange, tangerine, grapefruit, lemon or chew the peel.
- Walnuts get rid of the garlic smell: they need to be chewed thoroughly after eating.
- A cup of milk or kefir will neutralize the unpleasant odor.
In addition, there is another way to eat odorless garlic. You need to add neutralizing products to your food. For example, make a salad with parsley or dill, add nuts and oranges.
For some time, coffee and chewing gum will help you get rid of the pungent smell. However, you shouldn’t get too carried away with it, because the effect may be the opposite.