Other than NFL linemen on Sundays, no one likes to roam around poisoning others’ personal space with bad breath. If you’re afraid your exhalation is stinking up the joint, you’ve got to take corrective measures.

CNN dispenses some mouth-sweetening advice:

*Drink lots of water. A dry mouth is a haven for bacteria. Keep hydrated in order to allow your body to supply stink-neutralizing saliva.

*Pop a breath mint. This is a band-aid rather than corrective surgery. But if you’ve just wolfed down some garlic bread, a peppermint is a decent short-term fix. The same goes for mouthwash.

*Try herbs and spices. Many varieties of green tea are said to contain herbs that cancel out bacteria crawling in your system, and oils in cinnamon can do the same. In general, go for a diet richer in fruits and vegetables. The textures can “scrub away” bacteria, the story says.

If you’ve conquered bad breath, how did you succeed?

Bad breath? Break free — and tell a friend [CNN]

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