Probiotics in fermented foods may help eliminate bad breath

Probiotics, commonly found in fermented foods, such as yogurt, sourdough bread and miso soup, may help eliminate the embarrassment of persistent halitosis (halitosis), a pooled analysis of existing evidence published in the open-access journal BMJ open found
.

In this study, Lactobacillus salivarius, Lactobacillus reuteri, Streptococcus salivaria, and Staphylococcus striatum may help freshen breath in supplement form, the researchers said, but more high-quality studies
are needed.

Volatile sulfides are the main cause of
persistent bad breath.
These compounds are produced by oral bacteria and are the result of a mixture of bacteria, as well as food debris
associated with poor gum and dental hygiene.

Ways to address this include mouthwash, chewing gum, scraping teeth, and scraping
your tongue.
Emerging evidence suggests that probiotics may offer a simpler option
.

To explore this further, and to find out how long this effect might last, the researchers searched research databases
of relevant randomized clinical trials published up to February 2021.

In the initial 238 records, duplicate and incomplete data reduced the number of eligible clinical trials to seven, involving a total of 278 people
.

The number of participants in each study was small, ranging from 23 to 68, aged between
19 and 70.
The monitoring period ranges from 2 to 12 weeks
.

The severity of bad breath is defined by the level of volatile sulfuric acid compounds detected in the mouth, or the OLP score, which measures the smell
of breath at different distances from the mouth.

Tongue moss score (3 studies) and plaque index (3 studies) were also included in the analysis, as the buildup of dirty tongue and tartar is often considered to be the main cause
of bad breath.

Pooled data analysis showed a significant decrease in OLP scores in the probiotic group compared with the comparison study group, independent of
the length of the monitoring period.

Similar results were observed at the levels of volatile sulfuric acid compounds detected, although they varied widely in individual studies, and the observed effects were of relatively short duration, up to 4 weeks, after which there were no significant differences
.

But there was no significant difference
in tongue moss scores or plaque indices between people who took probiotics and those who did not.

The researchers explain that probiotics may inhibit the breakdown of amino acids and proteins by anaerobic bacteria in the mouth, thereby inhibiting the production
of unpleasant byproducts.

But in explaining their findings, they issued a warning
.
The included studies were small and some of the data were incomplete
.
These factors, combined with differences in detection methods, bacterial species, and large differences in clinical trial design and methods, have weakened the findings
.

"This systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that probiotics such as Lactobacillus salivarius, Lactobacillus reuteri, Streptococcus salivarius, and Vesseriella striatum may reduce bad breath in the short term by reducing levels of [volatile sulfuric acid compounds], but have no significant effect
on the main causes of bad breath, such as plaque and tongue moss," they wrote.

They added: "More high-quality randomized clinical trials are needed in the future to validate the results and provide evidence
on the efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of bad breath.
"