Prepping for date night? You’ll want to stay away from these commonly consumed five foods that can cause bad breath.

Garlic & Onions

Take it from the experts at the Mayo Clinic who write,

“Eating certain foods, such as onions, garlic and spices, also can cause bad breath. After you digest these foods, they enter your bloodstream, are carried to your lungs and affect your breath.”

Coffee

Coffee is dehydrating. Dehydrated mouths don’t have enough saliva. Lack of saliva causes bad breath. Learn more about other causes of dry mouth and expert advice on how to get relief in one our our earlier blog posts.

Fish

I'm sure you've heard people utter the critique, "It had a fishy odor," or "It was a bit fishy." You can blame that bad 'fishy' smell on trimethylamine (TMA), says the American Society for Nutrition. But really, science aside, a food that has its own negative word for how it smells? 'nuf said.

Sweets

Cookies and cupcakes and candy bars, oh my! Sugar-filled treats leave a sugary residue in your mouth that quickly become a feasting ground for bacteria. The bacteria gives off a foul odor, which in turn results in you having bad breath.

Stay tuned for our next blog post to learn what foods help fight bad breath!