Bad Breath? Don’t Blame the Coffee!

New laboratory tests have shown that an extract from coffee can inhibit the bacteria that lead to bad breath, scientists have discovered.

The extract prevents malodorous bacteria from making their presence felt – or smelt.

“Everybody thinks that coffee causes bad breath,” says Professor Mel Rosenberg of Tel Aviv University, “and it’s often true, because coffee, which has a dehydrating effect in the mouth, becomes potent when mixed with milk, and can ferment into smelly substances.”

But what if you don’t take milk with coffee?  “Contrary to our expectations, we found some components in coffee that actually inhibit bad breath,” explains Prof. Rosenberg.  “We expected coffee would cause bad breath, but there is something inside this magic brew that has the opposite effect.”

Rosenberg would like to isolate the bacteria-inhibiting molecule in order to reap the biggest anti-bacterial benefits from coffee.  “It’s not the raw extract we will use”, he says, “but an active material within it.” His latest discovery could be the foundation for an entirely new class of mouthwash, breath mints and gum.  Purified coffee extract can be added to a breath mint to stop bacteria from forming, stopping bad breath at its source, instead of masking the smell with a mint flavor.

The findings were presented last month of the International Society for Breath Odor Research in Germany.

The plug here for HealthWise coffee is this:   You don’t need milk and sweeteners to mask the bitterness of coffee – so there’s possibility that drinking HealthWise coffee can contribute to better breath!

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