By Deirdre E. Mueller, editor

Nearly everyone at one time or another has suffered the embarrassment of having halitosis, also known as bad breath. Over the years drug companies have spent millions on research in an attempt to discover the cause of halitosis. They have found that halitosis is basically caused by three compounds collectively called volatile sulfur compounds (VSC). The major source of volatile sulfur compounds, or VSC for short, is the breakdown of bacteria and human cells in the mouth. The greater the number of these degraded cells, the greater the amount of VSC present. In fact, in situations where bacterial plaque and gum inflammation is present, the amount of VSC can jump to nearly eight times the normal level.

To keep the level of VSC down in your mouth, you need to minimize the presence of plaque and dead cells. The best way to do this is by regular brushing, and especially, regular flossing. In addition, some mouth rinses, primarily those that contain oxidizing agents, help in preventing VSC formation. When looking for a mouthwash to help with halitosis make sure it contains chlorine dioxide, the most effective oxidizing agent available.

Your stomach and intestines can also emit VSC, which move up through your mouth, and result in halitosis. While there is no single food item that is the solely responsible for VSC being present in the stomach and intestines, certain foods do seem to aggravate the situation. Careful attention to your diet to find which foods seem to result in halitosis, and then avoiding those foods, may lower the VSC in the stomach and intestines. Lower levels of VSC in the stomach and intestines means less VSC being emitted through your mouth and less chance of suffering from halitosis.