Yoghurt reduces bad breath

Mar 14 2005

Eating traditional yoghurt reduces the bacteria that cause bad breath.

Reporting today at the 83rd General Session of the International Association for Dental Research, convening at the Baltimore Convention Center, investigators from Tsurumi University (Yokohama, Japan) presented results from a study investigating the effects of eating sugar-free traditional yoghurt on the components of oral malodor and harmful bacteria.

They found that the levels of volatile sulfide compounds, namely, hydrogen sulfide, decreased in 80% of the volunteers after six weeks. Further, the plaque and gingival indices in the yoghurt-eating volunteers were significantly lower than in the non-yoghurt-eating group with bad breath.

The results suggest that eating traditional yoghurt may reduce the components of oral malodor and harmful bacteria.