Caveman Breath
When I first tell people I’m on a Primal diet emulating our ancient ancestors, the witty ones are usually quick with a clever comment or two, usually referencing the Flintstones, heavy brow ridges, monosyllabic grunts, or some combination of the three. A hearty laugh is shared (mine being exceedingly polite), and they’ll go on to ask if I’ve experienced increased hair growth, whether or not I met my wife by clubbing her over the head, and if I’ve got caveman breath (always accompanied by a theatrical, exaggerated step backward). What would I do without such comedians?
I gotta admit, though, they might have a point about the caveman breath. Although I don’t have a problem with it personally (unless my wife has kept quiet all these years), bad breath is a common complaint I hear about low-carb dieters. Strangely enough, I rarely hear it from actual low-carbers, but rather from overly critical skeptics. Still, bad breath does happen to everyone, and I for one would be wary of engaging Grok in a close heart to heart talk over some fermented mammoth milk. Even on our own comment boards, reader madMUHHH complained about having constant bad breath. Of course, he was also eating loads of garlic and onions, which are notorious causes of bad breath (regardless of the overall diet), but it does go to show that just because we’re eating healthy Primal foods, it doesn’t mean we’re immune to the ravages of bad breath.
But are we Blueprinters especially susceptible to bad breath? First, let’s examine the most common causes.
Bacteria/Tooth Decay
Most bad breath you encounter is probably due to poor dental hygiene. Brushing isn’t enough for some people; sometimes you need to physically remove chunks of food from between your teeth. I doubt Grok was a big brusher, but he probably picked his teeth with bones or sharpened sticks (I think the annoying sensation of meat stuck in between your teeth is universally hated). Still, he ate a lot of meat, and he didn’t gargle, so it’s quite likely that stringy bits of meat got lodged between his teeth. Meat rots, and rotting meat stinks, especially when it’s bottled up in a hot, fetid environment (like the mouth). Pick your teeth or floss, especially after ribs, and don’t play spin the bottle with Grok after he’s just eaten.
Tooth decay is a more insidious cause of bad breath, but that wasn’t an issue for Grok. In fact, Stephan from Whole Health Source posted a great write up discussing the (now out of print) book Paleopathology at the Origins of Agriculture. In the book, anthropologists compare dental and skeletal records from both Paleolithic hunter-gatherers and Mesolithic agriculturalists and determine that with intense agriculture “incidence of carbohydrate-related tooth disease increases.” As long as you’re eating like Grok and avoiding sugars and starchy carbs, tooth decay probably isn’t the cause of bad breath.
Ketosis
Burning ketones for energy has a reputation for causing bad breath. In reality, it’s a “different” smell than most are used to, but not necessarily bad. In fact, the slightly sweet scent that sometimes results from ketosis is probably pretty close to how Grok’s breath smelled (provided he had picked his teeth, of course). That is, ketosis breath might actually be “normal” on the meat-and-plant-heavy Primal diet. I sometimes notice an odd scent when I’m fasting, and I’m guessing it’s just those ketones at work.
Food
The good news is that most bad breath caused by food is relatively short-lived. Once you eat, brush, and floss, for the most part you’ll have taken care of the bad breath. The bad news is that some of the best foods – like fish, garlic, or onions – can linger on your breath for days. If you eat a can of sardines, your breath is probably going to stink for a while. Add some garlic to the mix and you’ll have issues – like our friend madMUHHH (just kidding!).
Gut Issues
Bad breath can stem from digestive issues. If your body reacts poorly to certain foods, eating them can cause bad breath. For most of the world, lactose-intolerance makes eating dairy a recipe for awful odor. Others react terribly to garlic or onions (more so than even poor madMUHHH), and there’s not much than can be done to avoid it.
Okay. Bad breath in some form or another is pretty much inevitable, even if you’re eating the right foods (sometimes because you’re eating the right foods!), but there are some pretty easy, natural ways to fight it.
Flossing/Picking
Floss or pick your teeth. For extra authenticity, use a bone shard, a sharpened flint arrowhead, or a tendon from a rival tribesman.
Brushing
If you want to avoid the artificial sweeteners and fluoride that make up most toothpastes, go with a natural brand. Most health food stores, or grocery shops like Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods will have natural toothpastes. Or you could just brush with baking soda, though that might not clear up any particularly pungent food odors.
Mint
Chew mint, or put a few drops of mint oil on your toothbrush and go to town. Mint smells great, plus it naturally cools your mouth. Be warned, though – the mint oil is intense stuff.
Ginger
Reader E M suggests ginger. I love ginger, but had never tried it as a breath freshener. I can safely report that it does cut through bad breath – provided you like the smell of ginger in the first place (which I do).
Citrus
Chewing on a lime or lemon wedge can freshen the breath in a pinch.
Chlorophyll
For bad breath caused by gut issues, chlorophyll is said to help.
Various Chewables
Try chewing parsley, fennel, or anise seeds to take care of superficial bad breath.
As long as you’re eating Primal foods, you shouldn’t have any systemic issues causing the bad breath and the above methods should take care of any temporary problem.
What are your thoughts? Any tips on how to fight bad breath?
lets.book Flickr Photo (CC)
Further Reading:
Going Grubby: The Primal Benefits of Dirt, Dust and Dishevelment
10 Things You (Likely) Don’t Know About Your Immune System
New Natural Bad Breath Cure Also Relieves Stress
Subscribe to Mark’s Daily Apple feeds
Posted By: Mark Sisson
(
I went to my first Crossfit...
A warning on the mint: do not ingest any immediately after eating. Mint relaxes some of the muscles in the digestive system which can lead to heatburn/reflux. I experienced this myself recently (right before hearing of it). I had a cup up mint tea after dinner and experienced uncomfortable heartburn! & it’s something I rarely have. Now I do enjoy that handful of fennel seeds at Indian restaurants however.
I just heard this story on the radio yesterday about monkeys teaching their off-spring to floss their teeth:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7940052.stm
At an Indian restaurant I go to, they hand out little bowls of fennel seeds at the end of the meal to cleanse the breath.
I am an occasional mint chewer myself. pop in some real mint leaves and you will be good to go.
The SoG
Hi Mark, found out about your blog from other fitness bloggers and again yesterday from gym junkies.
Personally, I haven’t experienced this so called “caveman breath” as I just started the primal way of eating recently. I have been fasting for quite some time though but I haven’t fasted long enough to notice the effects of Ketosis in my breath (although I have heard about it).
I enjoy reading through your site and I will keep coming back for more for sure. I especially like the post on chocolate as I am a big fan of it
My home work for this weekend is to buy dark chocolate and not use it for baking…haha. I can’t wait to eat it with Almond Butter as you suggested.
Thanks for a great site!
I have some gut issues (GERD, I think) that I am still trying to get to the bottom of, and they cause me occasional bad breath. Unfortunately mint and gum chewing is one of the things that makes the stomach issues and heartburn flair up, so I am still looking for a good natural breath freshener for when I am on the go. Any ideas anyone?
It’s amazing how many people negate the importance of brushing and flossing (or they know and just coincidentally “ignore” it).
Camille- mint DROPS work wonders, no chewing necessary!
Unfortunately, I’ve had the ketone breath before. On the plus side, it was a marker that I’d managed to keep my carbs so low. On the minus side, I was at a movie theater when I noticed it and realized the people next to me were probably noticing it as well. I moved. To the front row. To no-man’s land.
Speaking just for myself, I find my breath to be far more fresh, and my teeth to keep far cleaner when I eat primal/EF/low carb. When I consume carbohydrates I inevitably wake up with trench mouth.
Could this be because the bacteria feast more lavishly upon whatever carb/sugar remnants are in your mouth?
I haven’t had any problems with bad breath that I’ve noticed (and my husband hasn’t said anything either). I do have a brand of fluoride free tooth paste to recommend though, Tom’s of Maine has great toothpaste. They even make a strawberry flavored one for kids!
Lisa: check out Mercola.com; he has alot to say about floride & it’s dangers.
One tip that helps prevent bad breath along w/ all the other excellent tips above is an Ayervedic tool: a tongue scaper. It sounds really weird, and it took me a while to work up the nerve to use it (despite the fact it is quick, easy, painless & effective!)–but now it’s part of my daily self-care ritual (along w/ the neti pot, which also seems to help). Not sure if Grok used tools like these but they certainly seem to fit right into the PB!
i had problems with bad breath years ago before i went paleo. no more.
i eat raw meat and sashimi every day, and think it actually helps keep things sanitary.
i think sugar and starch can wreak esthetic olfactory havoc!
Haven’t read the full article yet. I’m happy I got mentioned, but “complained about having constant bad breath.” sounds a bit like my breath reached a level that is not socially acceptable anymore. Nah, that’s overexaggerated of course and to be honest, the whole breath thing isn’t really that bad anymore. But whatever, gonna continue reading the article^^.
I’ve never had a problem with my breath before but a couple of relatives do. Now they both eat more carbs than I do, though I think at one point two of would have been equal.
Also when I first started low carb I could definitely smell what I assumed was ketone breath. Recently I’ve noticed it since I’ve started fasting a couple times a week. I wouldn’t call it bad necessarily. My wife notices it also.
I never floss unless I’ve got something stuck. After high school I brush every morning. Before that not that consistent. Very few cavaties (all pinhole size) before I went low carb. Stephan post is highly recommended.
Joe
Okay, I’ve read the full article and now I’m really pissed off. >:-( You must really hate me, Mark.
Nah, just kidding, actually the article made me laugh quite a bit.
There’s another ayurvedic technique called “oil pulling” or “oil swishing”. Oil is taken into the mouth (I use coconut or olive oil but Ayurvedics recommends sesame oil) and swish around in the mouth for about 20 minutes and then spit it out. Then I brush my teeth and floss.
I had a constantly achy root canaled tooth and once I started this my problem disappeared.
There is more to their theory that involves blood cleansing – not sure how that would hold up under scientific scrutiny but but for me I believe the antibacterial qualities of the oils may be helpful in removing plaque causing and any other bacteria from the mouth. I would also think that gum tissue would benefit from this. Mine seems to have. And I have advanced periodontal disease.
I rarely have bad breath unless I’m fighting the rare cold/flu or I stray from the low carb/low sugar way of eating.
“For extra authenticity, use a bone shard, a sharpened flint arrowhead, or a tendon from a rival tribesman.”
WOW. hahahaha.
How about clubbing someone to get their tendon? NOW THATS PRIMAL.
woof.
No problems here with bad breath, and Grok still got with the ladies bad breath and all.
There is a huge link between dental hygiene and just about all ailments, fix? Freaking brush your teeth.
On Ted Allen’s show Food Detectives they tested bad breath cures. Once breath is bad, the only thing which made it significantly better was to brush. Gum, fruit, mints, fennel, and parsley didn’t have much effect.
As for prevention, for me, as long as I floss every day and scrape the tongue a couple times a week, bad breath isn’t a problem even if I’m in ketosis. Just like usual, the basics are almost always the best.
Great post!
I’d really like to reenforce the importance of flossing. Almost nobody I know does it regularly or thoroughly enough. You have to build up the gum strength to really get in their and remove bits of bit, etc. After years of practice I can just about manage a good cleaning without my gum bleeding. I’m continually amazed how much food material remains even *after* brushing thoroughly with a high tech electric toothpaste.
Like some of the others already mentioned, it seems to be the processed carbs that give me the bad breath! If I stick to the veggies and meat and fruit, we’re good to go. But if I stray, I’ll even notice it the next morning, even though I’ve brushed and flossed after the meal itself and before bed. I sort of wrote it off as the result of the carbs being “processed”, for lack of a better word, while I slept. Most of the time I have no issues – and I think consuming large quantities of water helps that also – and definitely helps with body odor across the board!
Years ago, in a dentists office, I read an article in the waiting room. It talked about bread and other starchy carbs. I said they were worse than sugar for your teeth. It claimed the sugar would melt fairly quickly but the bread would remain on your teeth for hours. After all they used to make glue, years ago, out of flour and water.
Well written article (: I’m kind of surprised that activated charcoal wasn’t mentioned, though. That’s all I ever use to brush my teeth with and they’ve never been whiter or cleaner (it’s actually best to leave the stuff there for awhile to do it’s work, although it does look a bit awful). Also charcoal absorbs toxins… if you drink a tea/tablespoon of it in water it will not only help clean your mouth, it will help clean the rest of your body, too.
Incredible stuff: http://www.charcoalremedies.com/books