How to Get Rid of Onion Breath

If you want to know how to get rid of onion breath, it can help to understand what causes it in the first place. The source of the strong and distinctive onion odour is sulphide gases. These gases are created when onions are sliced. Onions contain enzymes called allinases, which interact with chemicals in the cells of the onion once the bulb is cut. This interaction releases the sulphide gases, which can irritate eyes and skin, and which leave lingering and powerful odours. These gases are also responsible for the bad breath that many people experience after they have eaten onions.

There are many opinions on how to get rid of onion breath. For example, there are those who recommend drinking a cup of tea after eating onions. This is because tea with milk is alkaline, and can help to neutralise the acidity of the sulphide gases. It has also been found that green tea can be very effective in helping to get rid of onion breath. Elements of the tea can kill the bacteria in the mouth that can cause bad breath.

If you are eager to learn how to get rid of onion breath, you may also try chewing cardamom seeds, immediately after eating onions. Although these seeds are also strongly flavoured, they are not as pervasive or acidic as onion. Further solutions include chewing on mint leaves or chewing parsley leaves. This must be done immediately after you eat onions also, and is only a temporary solution to how to get rid of onion breath. There are those who maintain that dipping the parsley leaves in salt will increase their effectiveness.

How to get rid of onion breath can be less of a problem if you maintain good oral hygiene and cleanliness. After eating onions, you should brush your mouth thoroughly, and avail of mouth wash and floss. You should also scrape your tongue, so as to remove all traces of the onion, and hence the smell.

Another option to try is lemonade or other lemon based products. Lemons are also strongly flavoured, but citrus acid is less of an irritant to other people. Therefore the smell of lemon is much preferable to the scent of onion. You can also wash your hands in lemon juice if you have a lingering odour of onions on your skin from handling or chopping them.
If you want to know how to get rid of onion breath and are finding that some of these methods are not working for you, it may be because you are a smoker. Cigarettes can exacerbate the problem of onion breath, and counteract some of the above remedies. You should also avoid alcohol if you have just eaten onions, as this too will worsen your onion breath.