There's no doubt that drinking milk is good for your health.
Milk contains lots of the essential vitamins and minerals that your body needs to stay in peak condition such as vitamin D and calcium, both of which are required for healthy teeth and bones.
But while a glass of milk a day can have some positive health benefits, excessive consumption of milk on a regular basis can actually have a pretty negative impact on the freshness of your breath.
That's because there's a little known connection between milk and bad breath, and it's all to do with bacteria found in your mouth...
In normal amounts, these bacteria are extremely important. They're responsible for breaking down the proteins in the foods you eat, as well as helping your body to digest diseased oral tissue and dead cells in the mouth.
When they come into contact with certain amino acids in protein, sulphur compounds known as volatile sulphur compounds are given off. Normally the smell created by these is relatively unnoticeable, but when there are unusually high amounts of bacteria present, the smell can unfortunately turn rotten and foul.
So Where Does Milk Come Into Things?
Well, milk contains high amounts of protein, so larger amounts of bacteria are needed to help break it down.
So, drinking lots and lots of milk means your mouth needs to produce more and more bacteria. And as we mentioned above, it's when there are extra high numbers of bacteria present that halitosis can occur.
The same goes for other dairy products such as cheese, as well as other types of foods which are especially high in protein. And if you're a low carb devotee, you might also notice that your mouth has taken on a particularly unpleasant aroma.
The best way to rectify matters and help get the numbers of bacteria back on track is to cut down on your protein consumption to more normal amounts.
However, if you're NOT indulging in overly high volumes of protein but your breath still smells, then you might need to consider some of the other different factors which can cause the bacteria to multiply in order to successfully banish your bad breath once and for all.
By Marnie Wallace
