Exploring a Herbal Blend to Fight Bad Breath

Greg Howard
17th February, 2024

Image Source: Natural Science News, 2024

Bad breath, or halitosis, is more than just a personal inconvenience—it can be a socially isolating condition that often goes hand-in-hand with gastrointestinal discomfort. Researchers from the Division of Digestive Diseases at Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital in Seoul tacked this issue by testing SGE-107. This remedy is a concoction of Korean goat's beard, Cirsium tanakae, and Basil, punctuated by caffeic acid. They hoped to find out whether this blend could fight halitosis in people who also experience mild gastrointestinal issues. The trial included 25 subjects, all affected by halitosis and symptoms like indigestion. Over four weeks, these participants received SGE-107. Throughout this time, researchers measured improvements not only through the participants’ own accounts but also via scientific measures of breath odor and oral health. They looked at a whole suite of indicators: how the participants perceived their breath quality, the societal impact of their halitosis, the severity of their digestive symptoms, and even the more technical aspects such as the levels of certain foul-smelling sulfur compounds in their breath, saliva production, mouth dryness, and tongue health. Once the study concluded, the findings were unmistakable. The scale that participants used to rate their breath odor showed drastic improvement—they reported much fresher breath. Quality-of-life scores connected to halitosis plummeted, indicating that the participants were feeling much better about their social and personal lives. There was a noticeable drop in the levels of methyl mercaptan—one of the stinky compounds involved in bad breath—present in the majority of subjects. Digestive symptoms such as reflux, constipation, and diarrhea also improved significantly. The impressive results came alongside reassuring safety findings: only two people experienced mild side effects during the study. While the small-scale nature of this investigation means larger trials are needed to verify the outcomes, the initial evidence suggests that SGE-107 could be a promising treatment for individuals struggling with both uncomfortable breath and gut symptoms.

Herbs Medicine Health

References

Main Study

1) Preliminary investigation of a combined herbal extract of Aruncus dioicus, Cirsium nipponicum, and Ocimum basilicum for halitosis.

Published 16th February, 2024

https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000037061

References

Main Study

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