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The
Truth About Bad Breath & What the Symptoms Mean.
Bad breath is caused by Anaerobic Sulfur Producing
Bacteria which normally live WITHIN the surface of the
tongue and in the throat. These bacteria are supposed
to be there, because they assist humans in digestion
by breaking down proteins found in specific foods,
mucous or phlegm, blood, and in diseased or
"broken-down" oral tissue. Under certain
conditions, these bacteria start to break down
proteins at a very high rate. Proteins are made up of
Amino Acids. Two of the Amino Acids (Cysteine and
Methionine) are dense with sulfur.
When these "beneficial"
bacteria come into contact with these compounds, the
odorous and "lousy-tasting" sulfur compounds
are released from the back of the tongue and throat,
as Hydrogen Sulfide, Methyl Mercaptan, and other
odorous and bad tasting compounds. These
"problem" compounds are often referred to as
volatile sulfur compounds (VSC), where volatile
means Vaporous and Effervescent, two adjectives which
accurately describe their ability to offend other
people instantly.
Because my original degree is in Bacteriology, let me
explain a very important fact about these
"bugs". They are not "bad guys" -
they are not infectious. Everyone in the world has the
same group of bacteria in their mouth. You cannot
"catch" bad breath from someone else - even
by kissing. Since they are part of our normal oral
flora, you cannot permanently remove them from your
mouth - not by tongue scraping, not by antibiotics,
and not by rinses which claim to "lift the
bacteria off your tongue". The only
scientifically proven and clinically effective method
of halting Halitosis is by attacking the bacteria's
ability to produce VSC and by converting the VSC into
non-odorous and non-tasting organic salts. (I should
know, I've personally treated nearly 10,000 people at
my California Breath Clinics and I've helped thousands
more through my TheraBreath formulas. Take a look at a
small fraction of testimonial
letters to see What Doesn't
Work!
Speaking about bacteria, there is
one other fact that you must understand about these
bacteria. They are classified as "Anaerobic"
- which literally means "Without Oxygen".
They thrive in an environment where Oxygen is NOT
present. That is why they DO NOT LIVE ON THE SURFACE
OF YOUR TONGUE! They live in between the papillae
(fibers) that make up your tongue!
These sulfur compounds are actually
by-products of anaerobic bacteria (Fusobacterium and
Actinomyces, among others). Everyone needs these
bacteria, because they assist the digestion process.
But, unfortunately, for some, as yet undetermined
reason these particular bacteria are found in higher
numbers in those anguished by Bad Breath. (Various
theories attribute this to hormonal changes, a history
of medications, usually antibiotics or sulfa
drugs-which create an imbalance of oral bacteria, or
even Genetics-these disorders appear to run in some
families.) We do know however, that it seems to be
evenly split between men and women.
Conditions under which the problem becomes worse:
Dry Mouth
Although some cases of dry mouth are naturally
occurring, most cases are caused by one of these
factors; prescription medications (usually prescribed
for high blood pressure or depression) antihistamines,
and adult beverages, with alcohol in them. (see "Why
Regular Products Don't Work")
When your mouth is dryer, you have less Saliva. Saliva
naturally contains Oxygen, which keeps your mouth
healthy and fresh. These bacteria are anaerobic, which
simply means that they will thrive and make more
sulfur in the presence of little or no oxygen. Thus if
you have less Saliva, you have less oxygen, thereby
creating an anaerobic environment, perfect for the
bacteria to produce more of these odorous and
sour/bitter compounds. For people with Dry Mouth,
products such as Saliva
Stimulation Tablets can help
greatly.
Post-Nasal Drip
We know that proteins contain amino acids, which in
turn contain sulfur compounds (see text above). When a
person has a post nasal drip, mucus drains and coats
the back of the tongue and throat, exactly where
bacteria live (see diagram above). Since mucus is made
up of interlinked strands of protein, the bacteria
have a field day, breaking down these proteins into
odorous and sour tasting sulfur type compounds. Strong
Antihistamines don't help, because the drying effect
of the antihistamines also creates a problem. The only
method of ending the odor and taste are to use Oxyd-VIII
based oral products. Many of my patients with post
nasal drip have claimed great success with use of the Nasal-Sinus
Drops.
What About The Sinuses?
After personally treating nearly 9,000 people
worldwide, I have yet to see a patient get rid of his
bad breath following sinus surgery. First of all,
these anaerobic bacteria cannot live in the sinuses.
When someone has a sinus infection, one of the common
symptoms are intense sinus headaches, caused by the
pressure from the infection in the sinus. If you don't
have these powerful headaches, you probably don't have
a sinus problem. The fact is that once someone has an
elevated amount of these anaerobic bacteria, they will
create the problem from any protein source, including
mucous, phlegm, etc, which drain down the back of your
throat into the area where these bacteria live.
High Protein Foods
These bacteria love those proteins, and certain foods
are packed with them:
Milk and Cheese and most other dairy products. (The
fat content does not matter.) If you are lactose
intolerant, do not eat or drink these products! Since
your system cannot digest them properly, they are
available to the bacteria for an extended period of
time. A recent research article from the Los Angeles
Times (November 1996) on lactose intolerance showed
that nearly 67% of all Americans can be classified as
"Lactose Intolerant". This is due to the
fact that in a diverse population such as we have
here, there is a predilection for Asians, Hispanics,
and African-Americans to be lactose intolerant.
Fish are high in proteins. As many people eat a high
fish diet, logically they make the problem worse.
Coffee with caffeine (and even without) contains high
levels of acids which cause the bacteria to reproduce
more rapidly and create a bitter taste for many
people. (Virtually any acidic type of food will do
this.)
Coffee drinking was one of the problems that my
patients used to have. After starting my treatment,
they have been able to go back to coffee drinking (in
moderation of course) without any bitter tastes
afterward.
What Works?
Oxyd-VIII is the active ingredient in TheraBreath
products. It prevents the anaerobic bacteria from
creating the odorous sulfide and Mercaptan compounds
by "adding oxygen" to the environment. The
end result is the formation of a "Sulfate",
which has no odor or taste. Most of my patients start
out with a Starter
Kit and work their way up
from there if necessary.
By Dr. Harold Katz, Founder of The California
Breath Clinics
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