23 نوفمبر 2021
Nausea, muscle aches, dizziness: the list of complaints against which ginger is supposed to help seems endless. But is ginger effective against bad breath?
Miracle cure ginger?
Ginger is a real magic bulb: not only does it give dishes and drinks a pleasant pungency, but it is also known to gently relieve various ailments. Studies show that the pungent substance and essential oils contained in ginger can help with nausea and vomiting, among other things. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich around Thomas Hofmann have now discovered another practical property of the tuber: According to them, ginger helps against bad breath.
Therefore ginger helps against bad breath
According to the scientists, the concentration of the enzyme sulfhydryl oxidase 1 in saliva increases within seconds when ginger is consumed - by a factor of 16. The spicy substance gingerol in ginger is responsible for this effect. The function of the salivary enzyme is to break down sulfur-containing malodorous compounds in the mouth. On the one hand, this ensures that the otherwise long-lasting aftertaste of certain foods such as coffee is reduced. "This also makes our breath smell better," explains Hoffmann. In the future, ginger could be used against bad breath by using gingerol in oral care products, for example.
And how can I now use the spicy tuber against bad breath - which is particularly practical if you can't brush your teeth at all? With tea, for example! For the preparation you need:
- Two to four grams of fresh ginger
- Hot water
Simply slice the ginger into thin slices and pour the water over them. Let the tea steep for about five minutes. In general, the longer ginger tea is steeped, the sharper it becomes! By the way, every food preparation with ginger is also good for the figure: 100 grams of the tuber have just 80 calories or 335 kilocalories (kcal.).
There is also an alternative for people on the go: ginger chewing gum! For example, if you feel slightly nauseous from excitement before an important appointment, ginger-flavored chewing gum can gently relieve this. Also, chewing gum should have a relaxing effect.
Hoffmann and his team also examined other foods to see how they affect so-called dissolved molecules in saliva and halitosis. In addition to ginger, citric acid also has an effect on our oral flora. More precisely, on the so-called sodium ions: The juice of the lemon increases the flow of saliva - and thus also the number of minerals dissolved in saliva. As a result, the sodium ion level rises, causing us to perceive foods as less salty.
Caution, salt!
From this discovery, a tip for future recipes with lemon juice can be derived: Anyone who cooks or bakes with it should be sparing with salt. We perceive the salty tasteless because of the citric acid, but Germans eat far too much salt anyway:
- Women consume about 8.4 grams of salt per day
- Men about ten grams
- The German Society for Nutrition, on the other hand, recommends a maximum amount of six grams of salt per day. For the health, it may be in this case thus calmly times a little less.
Writer and news editor I work on a site HealthyFood .
