I’m going to be direct with you: In case your breath is persistently unhealthy, masking it up with mints and mouthwash isn’t simply masking the issue—it’s making it worse.
I see this on a regular basis. Somebody DMs or emails me, embarrassed about persistent unhealthy breath. They’ve tried every thing—Listerine, Altoids, water flossers, these little breath strips. Nothing works.
And after I ask them to stay out their tongue and have a look at it within the mirror and describe to me what they see, I instantly know why.
Their tongue is coated in a thick, white-yellow biofilm. The again of the tongue seems to be like a shag carpet.
That biofilm? It’s a metropolis of sulfur-producing micro organism churning out unstable sulfur compounds (VSCs)—the precise reason for unhealthy breath.
However right here’s what most individuals don’t notice: These micro organism aren’t simply inflicting unhealthy breath. They’re additionally blocking one in all your physique’s most vital pathways for cardiovascular well being.
Your Tongue Is Presupposed to Shield Your Coronary heart
After age 40, your physique’s means to supply nitric oxide (NO)—the molecule that retains your blood vessels versatile and your blood strain wholesome—drops off a cliff.
However your physique has a backup system: your oral microbiome.
Whenever you eat nitrate-rich meals like spinach or beets, these nitrates focus in your saliva. Then useful micro organism in your tongue (like Rothia and Neisseria) convert these nitrates into nitrite, which turns into nitric oxide all through your physique.
This protects your cardiovascular system.
But when your tongue is roofed in sulfur-producing micro organism, this conversion doesn’t occur.
No conversion = no nitric oxide = no cardiovascular safety.
So persistent unhealthy breath isn’t simply embarrassing. It’s an indication your oral microbiome is damaged—and your coronary heart is paying the value.
Why Mouthwash Makes All the pieces Worse
Right here’s the cycle I see consistently:
Unhealthy breath → use Listerine → contemporary breath for half-hour → unhealthy breath comes again worse.
Why?
As a result of antiseptic mouthwash kills every thing—the nice micro organism AND the unhealthy micro organism.
Then one thing predictable occurs: the unhealthy micro organism (anaerobes like Fusobacterium and Prevotella) develop again sooner than the nice micro organism.
They thrive within the disrupted, oxygen-poor surroundings mouthwash creates.
Now you’ve:
- Worse unhealthy breath (extra VSC manufacturing)
- A damaged oral microbiome (much less variety, extra sulfur producers)
- Increased blood strain (no nitrate-reducing micro organism = no NO manufacturing)
Research present that utilizing chlorhexidine mouthwash measurably will increase blood strain inside hours as a result of it wipes out the micro organism you want for nitric oxide manufacturing.
You’ve made the issue persistent.
The Hidden Wrongdoer: Nighttime Mouth Respiratory
However there’s one issue that’s even worse than mouthwash.
Mouth respiration at night time.
Right here’s what most individuals don’t perceive: Nighttime mouth respiration is much more damaging than daytime mouth respiration.
In the course of the day, even if you happen to’re mouth respiration:
- You’re ingesting water
- You’re swallowing (which stimulates saliva)
- You’re speaking (which strikes your tongue and creates moisture)
- You’re feeling the dryness and instinctively attempt to hydrate
However at night time, your salivary glands basically shut down.
Whenever you mouth breathe throughout sleep:
- Your mouth desiccates fully
- Saliva stream drops to virtually nothing
- The pH drops (turns into extra acidic)
- Oxygen stress plummets
- Anaerobic micro organism explode in inhabitants
This creates the right surroundings for:
- Sulfur-producing micro organism (unhealthy breath)
- Cavity-causing micro organism (decay)
- Gum illness micro organism (periodontitis)
- Full oral microbiome dysbiosis
Morning breath after mouth respiration all night time isn’t simply “regular.” It’s an indication of profound microbial imbalance.
Should you get up with a dry mouth, coated tongue, and unhealthy breath—you’re mouth respiration at night time. And it’s destroying your oral ecology.
What Really Works: Breaking the Unhealthy-Breath Cycle
Right here’s what I’d suggest:
1. Tongue Scraping Each Morning
This bodily removes the sulfur-producing biofilm, reduces anaerobic bacterial load, and will increase oxygen publicity in your tongue floor.
Much less natural substrate = fewer sulfur producers = much less VSC manufacturing.
I scrape 5-7 instances till the scraper comes away clear.
That is the one I designed, however any stainless-steel scraper works.
2. Nitrate-Wealthy Mint After Scraping
After scraping, I take advantage of this nitrate-rich mint which I developed in partnership with oral microbiome and nitric oxide scientist Dr. Shawn Inexperienced.
Right here’s why this works:
The nitrate feeds useful micro organism like Rothia and Actinomyces—those that produce nitric oxide and DON’T produce sulfur gases.
These useful micro organism outcompete the sulfur producers. Their metabolism is completely totally different—they create nitrite and NO, not malodorous VSCs.
Extra nitrate → extra useful micro organism → fewer sulfur producers → brisker breath AND cardiovascular safety.
It’s not masking. It’s restoring microbial steadiness.
3. Mouth Tape Each Night time
That is non-negotiable if you wish to repair unhealthy breath completely.
Mouth taping forces nasal respiration, which:
- Retains your mouth moist all night time
- Maintains regular pH
- Prevents anaerobic bacterial overgrowth
- Preserves salivary stream (even the diminished nighttime stream is protecting)
- Delivers pure antimicrobial peptides in saliva
Nasal respiration reshapes your oral ecology right into a steady, low-odor equilibrium.
I take advantage of this mouth tape each single night time.
4. Magnesium Day by day
Magnesium helps wholesome salivary gland perform. Extra saliva = higher bacterial flushing, optimum pH, and the proper surroundings for useful micro organism.
That is the magnesium I take daily.
5. Leafy Greens Day by day
Arugula, spinach, beet greens—these feed the nitrate-reducing micro organism in your tongue.
No dietary nitrate = no gas for the useful micro organism.
6. By no means Use Antiseptic Mouthwash
Throw out the Listerine, the Therabreath, the ACT. Even the “pure” mouthwash manufacturers include important oils, that are oral microbiome disruptive as a result of they indiscriminately kill micro organism.
Should you do rinse, rinse with MCT coconut oil.
The Check: Test Your Tongue Proper Now
Stick out your tongue. Take a look at the again third.
Coated? White? Yellow? Fuzzy?
Now scrape it with a tongue scraper (or if you happen to don’t have one but, a spoon for now).
Odor it.
If it smells like sulfur, your oral microbiome is damaged.
And if you happen to get up with dry mouth and unhealthy breath, you’re mouth respiration at night time.
Unhealthy Breath Is a Warning Signal
After I see persistent unhealthy breath, I see:
- Disrupted oral microbiome
- Misplaced cardiovascular safety
- Elevated systemic irritation
- Nighttime mouth respiration destroying oral ecology
Your breath is telling you one thing is fallacious.
The repair isn’t mouthwash. It’s restoring steadiness.
Begin Right here This Week
✅ Scrape your tongue each morning
✅ Use mouth tape each night time (that is the game-changer)
✅ Eat leafy greens day by day
✅ Take magnesium
✅ Throw out antiseptic mouthwash
Should you’ve been coping with persistent unhealthy breath, this isn’t about vainness. It’s about your oral microbiome, your cardiovascular well being, and your physique’s means to supply nitric oxide after 40.
Your tongue is a metabolic organ that’s supposed to guard your coronary heart.
Let’s begin treating it that manner.
Mark
P.S. What would you want me to cowl in future newsletters?
With a neighborhood of over 100,000 now (and rising) I’m sadly unable to answer to each single electronic mail like I used to again in 2016, nonetheless, I do nonetheless learn each one in all your messages. So, if you happen to’ve emailed me, thanks. I so recognize your suggestions and your curiosity within the mouth-body connection.