I seriously find this hard to believe. I mean, I would hardly admit to having bad breath (and, no I really don’t!) but you would know a coffee drinker by his breath if you stood close enough together, right?
According to Tel Aviv researcher Mel Rosenberg, an extract from coffee can actually kill the bacteria that lead to bad breath! Before you rejoice and start using coffee as mouthwash, I have to tell you that Rosenberg also has a disclaimer. He said that this extract is actually mixed in with the rest of the coffee. That is why what they are working on right now is to isolate this molecule that kills the bacteria that cause bad breath. Obviously, they have not been able to do this as of yet.
You can imagine the potential of this project though. Coffee-flavored mints? Coffee-flavored mouthwash?
In the meantime, we have to be realistic. It is highly unlikely that the coffee that we drink on a daily basis will serve as a bad breath bacteria killer. More so, Rosenberg also asserts that the common perception that coffee can cause bad breath is true. Here comes the bad news, guys…
Everybody thinks that coffee causes bad breath, 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.
Now that is why, as I sit and write, I can feel my mouth drying up from the two mugs of coffee that I have had so far. Needless to say, I shall be using Colgate and Listerine in a little bit.
Originally posted on June 30, 2009 @ 3:26 am