More about the bad breath phone from MSNBC.com.

Updated: 6:11 a.m. PT Oct 3, 2007

TOKYO – Worried that you’re not getting enough exercise or that you’ve eaten way too much garlic? A Japanese firm has come up with a phone that can help.

Japan’s largest cell phone carrier NTT DoCoMo unveiled this week a “Fitness Phone,” designed to help the user stay healthy — and avoid bad breath.

The handheld phone, equipped with various devices that can measure your pulse or the amount of steps you’ve taken in a day, dispenses heath advice after you’ve punched in statistics such as gender, age and weight.

TechWatch: Phat fat phone

And you can also exhale into the phone and it will tell you whether its time to reach for the breath mints.

“Our primary target groups would be fat-fighting middle-aged businessmen and young women on diets,” said Kentaro Endo, a spokesman for NTT DoCoMo.

A recent government survey found that on average, Japanese men in their 40s were fatter than they were 12 years ago, mainly due to lack of exercise, while women in the same age group were slimmer because they were more health conscious.

Expert: Odor Sticks Around Until Food Leaves System

This piece comes to us from Michele Biaso of WGAL news in Lancaster, PA, who recently interviewed Dr Katz about the relationship of what you eat and how your breath smells.

Michele Biaso, Staff writer

There you are in the office, sitting down for a meeting when something catches your attention.

It’s the girl from accounting sitting next to you. You are convinced she ate a raw onion on her lunch break. She has no idea that the slice of onion in the pita wrap she ate an hour ago is causing people in the meeting to slowly scoot their chairs farther away.

Halitosis — or bad breath — is more common than people think.

Dr. Harold Katz said one-third of the population suffers from bad breath and some don’t even know it.

“That’s because you can’t smell your own breath,” he said, adding that your brain gets used to your own odor, a process called acclimation.

Katz, founder of California Breath Clinics, said the foods you consume play a direct role in odors you emit from your mouth.

According to the American Dental Association, mouth odors will continue until the body eliminates the food. So from the time you take a bite of that garlic bagel, it becomes absorbed in the bloodstream, gets transferred to the lungs and is then expelled you give off a scent.

Obvious foods such as garlic, onions and curry can directly cause bad breath because they contain sulfur compounds, which is what people smell in bad breath. But Katz said there are less obvious foods that can make your breath clear a room.

Feeding Bacteria In The Mouth

One bad breath myth he wants to debunk is that bad breath comes from the stomach.

In almost every case, he said, a smelly mouth is caused by bacteria that breed beneath the surface of the tongue, throat and tonsils.

Some foods play an indirect role because they provide fuel for the anaerobic sulfur-producing bacteria that produce chronic halitosis, he said.

Katz said dairy foods like milk, cheese and yogurt can also cause breath problems.

“They contain dense proteins that these nasty bacteria use as a fuel source to create odors,” he said.

What you drink is also important in keeping your breath fresh.

Coffee is a problem because it is very acidic. Katz said bacteria love an acidic environment because they can reproduce faster.

Candy and gum that contain sugar are also major problems because sugar feeds the bacteria. And Katz doesn’t recommend adult beverages either, because alcohol makes the mouth dry, allowing the bacteria to breed.

Those cutting calories should also be careful.

“When one diets, saliva is diminished so there is less natural protection,” Katz said. Also, when the body also starts to break down stored fats, which Katz said can lead to a different kind of bad breath.

Body builders are notorious for this problem because of their high intake of whey protein, which they use to bulk up muscle. Whey protein contains high concentrations of amino acids that contain high amounts of sulfur.

“High-protein diets are a problem because the bacteria create odors by breaking down amino acids in proteins. Then they excrete sulfur compounds as their ‘poop,’” he said.

Water Washes Away Stink

Katz said the best thing people can do to keep their breath fresh is to drink six to eight glasses of water per day. Drinking tea is also a good idea, he said.

Saliva is nature’s way of keeping your breath fresh.

“Saliva contains a high percentage of oxygen, which is the natural enemy of anaerobic bacteria,” he said. “The more saliva, the fresher your breath.”

Katz said foods that contain a lot of water also help. Celery, cucumbers, grapes, zucchini and carrots all have high water content.

Foods that are juicy, such as watermelons and strawberries, also ward off bacteria because they encourage saliva production.

If you can’t stay way from the garlic, onions and other stench-creating foods, Katz said to use an oxygenating mouthwash and toothpaste.

Katz, creator of TheraBreath System formulas, said oxygen compounds in the mouthwash and toothpaste attach themselves to the sulfur compounds and create a non-odorous compound.

Mouthwashes that contain alcohol defeat the purpose by creating a dry mouth, Katz said.

Breakfast Important To Odor

One thing Katz recommends is to eat breakfast every day. He said people who skip breakfast tend to have horrible breath because a morning meal stimulates saliva production immediately.

“When one sleeps, there is no saliva production. So, you literally have a sulfur factory in your mouth for seven to eight hours since there is no natural saliva or oxygen to fight the anaerobic bacteria.”

And as your dentist has been telling you since your first visit, brushing your teeth is always a great defense.

According to the ADA, food can collect between the teeth, on the tongue and around the gums. It can then rot, causing an unpleasant odor.

If you don’t brush and floss daily, particles of food remain in the mouth and collect bacteria. This can contribute to halitosis.

In most cases, Katz said, the food you eat will not make you smell bad forever.

“Once saliva kicks in, most people return to fresh breath,” he said.

Even the Government Agrees - Please read the 3 reports below:

Sugar in Breath Mints feed the bacteria that give you bad breath:

Altoids and other products of that type contain high concentrations of sugar. Sugar feeds the bacteria that create the sulfur compounds found in bad breath. Therefore, it is completely ridiculous to use candy to fight an oral/medical condition. Same goes with chewing gum that contains sugar. If you are really stuck, please use non-sugar gum or mints. We provide to our patients what we feel are the 2 finest chewing gums on the market: TheraBreath and TheraBrite Oxygenating Chewing Gum.

Published Reports on BreathAsure:

Report 1: LA TIMES (2/19/01) (BreathAsure files for Bankruptcy – Will be Auctioned Off – Owners admit product doesn’t work!)

Report 2: From: Quackwatch Home Page

“BreathAsure Claims Halted By Federal Court”

Report 3: From: Better Business Bureau Advertising Review Programs, (Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc. National Advertising Division Press Release) “BreathAsure Agrees To Modify Unsubstantiated Ad Claims”

From: Quackwatch Home Page

BreathAsure Claims Halted By Federal Court

The Warner-Lambert Company, which manufactures Certs breath mints, Clorets mints and gum, Dentyne gum, and Listerine antiseptic mouthwash, has obtained a federal court order to stop BreathAsure Inc., of Calabasas, California, from continuing to claim or imply that its internal breath freshener products, BreathAsure and BreathAsure-D, get rid of bad breath for hours and give users clean, fresh breath, even after they consume onions, garlic, or other foods containing aromatic substances. Claims of this type have been made on product labels, in radio, television, and magazine ads, and on the Internet. Since 1994, the Council of Better Business Bureau’s National Advertising Division has investigated twice and concluded that such claims were unsubstantiated.

The active ingredients in BreathAsure are said to be parsley seed and sunflower oils. BreathAsure-D, also said to aid digestion, contains these ingredients plus ginger, chamomile, and true licorice. Warner-Lambert’s suit charged that taking BreathAsure capsules with water is no more effective in fighting bad breath than drinking water alone.

The federal court order, dated November 19, 1998, permanently PROHIBITS BreathAsure, Inc., from claiming, either directly or by implication, in any advertising or promotion or promotional context with respect to BreathAsure, BreathAsure D, or any other “internal breath freshener” that:

It works. It provides users with clean breath. It lasts and lasts on the toughest offenders: Pizza, garlic, onions, spicy foods, coffee and more. It cleans bad breath for hours. It usually lasts four to six hours or until the next time you eat something that might produce bad breath. It gives you clean fresh breath for hours from the inside out. It will help stop morning breath as well as bad breath caused by garlic, onions, pizza, coffee and other foods. It is an “internal breath freshener.” It is guaranteed to give you clean fresh breath for hours. It works with the digestive system, often the cause of offensive breath. It is “America’s number one selling breath freshener.” It lasts for hours. Guaranteed to give clean fresh breath for hours. Swallow with liquid after eating or any time you want the confidence of fresh breath. It will stop bad breath caused by the foods you eat. Use it any time you want clean breath. It works from the inside out. It cleans your breath naturally from the inside out. It took a team of researchers five years to develop this unique secret formulation and blending process. It is a breath freshener. It is designed to fight bad breath caused by foods.

Quackwatch Home Page ||| News Index

Better Business Bureau Advertising Review Programs

Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc.

National Advertising Division Press Release

For Immediate Release:

Contact: Lynne Collins 212-705-0120

Breathasure Agrees To Modify Unsubstanatiated Ad Claims

New York, New York — April 16, 1997 — The National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc. announces that BreathAsure, Inc. (“Breathasure”) has agreed to modify unsubstantiated advertising claims for its BreathAsure® capsules. NAD has determined that BreathAsure does not have a reasonable basis to continue certain claims of product performance – in terms of the capsules’ efficacy and mechanism of action. Following NAD’s recommendations, BreathAsure’s future advertising will more clearly communicate that BreathAsure® is useful as a complimentary product, or component of an overall oral hygiene program for consumers. The Warner-Lambert Company, manufacturer of Certs® and Clorets® breath mints, challenged the truthfulness and accuracy of BreathAsure’s print, television and radio advertising that included: “…works with your digestive system and it gets rid of bad breath for hours.”

NAD’s inquiry was conducted under NAD/NARB Procedures for Voluntary Self-Regulation of National Advertising and was resolved in 60 business days. Details of the initial inquiry, NAD’s decision and the advertiser’s response are included in an NAD Case Report published today.

# # # The National Advertising Review Council (NARC) was formed in 1971 by the advertising industry and four leading trade associations to foster truth and accuracy in national advertising through voluntary self-regulation. NARC is the body that establishes the ground rules for the National Advertising Division (NAD), the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU), and the National Advertising Review Board (NARB).

NAD and CARU are the investigative arms of the advertising industry’s voluntary self-regulation program. Their casework results from competitive challenges from other advertisers, but also from self-monitoring traditional and new media, including the Internet. The National Advertising Review Board (NARB), the appeals body, is a peer group from which ad-hoc panels are selected to adjudicate those cases that are not resolved at the NAD/CARU level. This unique, self-regulatory system is funded entirely by the business community; CARU is financed by the childrens’ advertising industry, while NAD/NARB’s sole source of funds is membership in the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc.

Our Product Formulations: An Overview

TheraBreath, AktivOxigen, and TheraBrite are the first chlorine dioxide based products to be sold in retail stores. They are based on clinically-proven formulas developed and tested for many years on thousands of patients at the California Breath Clinics by Dr. Harold Katz. (TheraBreath PLUS & PerioTherapy are available only from us on-line or by phone order.)

Many people have tried to copy our products and their formulations, but as hard as they try, they always come up short. The reason: Our products are made with proprietary pharmaceutical-grade chlorine dioxide and specific oxychlor complexes, both in the active and stabilized formats, using technology developed by the leading scientists in this field. Despite what jealous competitors may say, we use chlorine dioxide in our products at concentrations sufficient enough to make us the best-selling, direct to the public brand, both in the U.S. and worldwide. No one comes close.

When GNC (natural heath product retailers) went searching for the BEST oral products for their very selective customers, they chose TheraBreath, TheraBrite, and AktivOxigen from the California Breath Clinics. When Wegmans Supermarkets wanted the finest breath products, they chose TheraBreath, and when Walgreens searched the ClO2 market, they chose TheraBreath as their exclusive professional breath product. When SelfCare Catalog dropped Profresh because of poor sales, they chose AktivOxigen and TheraBrite.

We do not use any alcohol, detergents (sodium lauryl sulfate), saccharin, artificial colors or artificial flavors in any of our formulas. We do not need to use bleach to generate ClO2 (bleach is used in Profresh). And, we don’t need to fool the public by creating strong medicinal or minty masking flavors, because our formulas work!

If you’re looking for definitive scientific proof on which oral product reduces VSC safely and rapidly, just look at these independent tests from June, 2000.

TheraBreath Nasal Sinus Drops:
The first Oxygenating Solution To attack Bad Breath and Mucous/Post Nasal Drip BEYOND the tongue, sinus, throat, and tonsils. All Natural Triple Strength formula prevents anaerobic bacteria from producing volatile sulfur compounds. No preservatives (no allergens like Benzalkonium Chloride) or artificial flavors.

Simply tilt your head back and squeeze out 3-4 drops into each nostril during the day to get to the source of the problem! And, because it’s all natural, there’s no danger in using too much. If you have post nasal drip, allergies, dry mouth, or tonsils, this product, in conjunction with our other clinically-proven oral products, is the best recommended solution.

The ingredients are: Purified and filtered water, Oxyd-8 (proprietary stabilized oxychlor compounds), zinc gluconate, sodium bicarbonate, tea tree oil, essential oil of spearmint, citric acid, sodium benzoate, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil.

There is no ephedra or drugs used in the formula. All of the components are derived from plants or nature.

Click Here to Order

TheraBreath Nasal-Sinus Spray:
Same powerful formula as our Nasal Sinus Drops, but packaged in a convenient spray bottle. Simply displense 1-2 powerful ‘spritzes’ into your sinuses and feel the oxygenating power of OXYD-8 go to work BEYOND your tongue, sinuses, throat, and tonsils. All Natural Triple Strength formula prevents anaerobic bacteria from producing volatile sulfur compounds. No preservatives (no allergens like Benzalkonium Chloride) or artificial flavors.

Simply place the spray bottle into each nostril and dispense 1-2 ‘spritzes’. With the Nasal Sinus Spray, some patients may notice a slight burning – this is normal and is due to the Tea Tree Oil. If you have post nasal drip, allergies, dry mouth, or tonsils, this product, in conjunction with our other clinically-proven oral products is for YOU!

The ingredients are: Purified and filtered water, Oxyd-8 (proprietary stabilized oxychlor compounds), zinc gluconate, sodium bicarbonate, tea tree oil, essential oil of spearmint, citric acid, sodium benzoate, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil.

Click Here to Order

TheraBreath Oral Rinse:
Purified Water, Oxyd-8 (proprietary stabilized Oxychlor compounds), sodium bicarbonate, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, essential oil of peppermint, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, tetrasodium EDTA.
Click Here to Order

TheraBreath PLUS Oral Rinse:
Purified Water, concentrated Oxyd-8 (proprietary stabilized Oxychlor compounds), zinc gluconate, sodium bicarbonate, tea tree oil, essential oil of spearmint, citric acid, sodium benzoate, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil.
Click Here to Order

TheraBreath Toothgel:
Sorbitol, hydrated silica, water, aloe barbadensis gel, glycerin, Oxyd-8 (proprietary stabilized Oxychlor compounds), tetrapotassium pyrophosphate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, carrageenan, xylitol, sodium fluoride, essential oil of peppermint, sodium benzoate.
Click Here to Order

TheraBreath PowerDrops:
Purified Water, highly concentrated Oxyd-8 (proprietary stabilized Oxychlor compounds), sodium bicarbonate, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, essential oil of peppermint, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, tetrasodium EDTA.
Click Here to Order
Click Here to Order (4 Pak.)

TheraBreath PLUS ToothGel:
Sorbitol, Hydrated Silica, water, aloe barbadensis gel, glycerin, oxyd-8 (proprietary stabilized Oxychlor compounds), tetrapotassium pyrophosphate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, carrageenan, sodium fluoride, zinc gluconate, ubiquinone (Co-Q10), essential oil of peppermint, natural flavor, sodium benzoate.
Click Here to Order

TheraBreath Spray:
Purified Water, concentrated Oxyd-8 (proprietary stabilized Oxychlor compounds), sodium bicarbonate, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, essential oil of peppermint, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, tetrasodium EDTA.
Click Here to Order. More product ingredient lists to appear so

As mentioned previously in this website, the bacteria that create the volatile sulfur compounds of bad breath and taste disorders, react to various changes in their environment.

Of course, everyone knows that Onions and Garlic will create bad breath. But do you know why? It’s because the odorous molecules in onions and garlic are actually sulfur compounds themselves, called Mercaptans. (Sulfur is nature’s way of creating odors.) You’re all familiar with the skunk. Its odor is created as a defense and/or attack mechanism. Skunk odor is made up of sulfur compounds (skatoles, etc.) which are natural sulfur compounds.

Food, if it sits out too long will spoil. That action is due to anaerobic bacteria breaking down proteins in that particular food. In milk, the odor of sour milk is caused by relatives of the bugs that create bad breath, when they break down proteins in milk (and all dairy foods). A reaction takes place where ‘the bad breath bugs’ extract sulfur compounds from the amino acids in these proteins. Specifically, the amino acid Cysteine is converted to Hydrogen Sulfide (the rotten egg smell) and Methionine becomes Methyl Mercaptan (which smells like a cross between old socks and garlic.) The same analogy applies to meat if it sits out too long. There are 4 categories of foods that will result in an increase of sulfur production because these categories have a stimulating affect on the bacteria:

1. Drying Agents
2. Dense Protein Foods
3. Sugars
4. Acids

Drying Agents:
The most common drying agent in food is Alcohol. Alcohol of course is the basis of all “adult” beverages such as Beer, Wine, and Hard liquor. It is also used, unfortunately in mouthwash, where it only makes the problem worse.

Alcohol is a drying agent, known chemically as a desiccant. It is used quite often in laboratories to “dry out” hard to reach areas in test tubes and beakers. The same end result takes place in the oral cavity.

To see a list of the alcohol content in Oral Products vs. Adult Beverages, check out the page: “Why Regular Products Don’t Work”

Although cigarettes are not really food, smoking is probably the quickest way to dry out your mouth, with alcohol the second. If you smoke, you are bound to have bad breath!

Dense Protein Foods:
Dairy foods are notorious for creating bad breath. An article in the Los Angeles Times once noted that over 50% of the population in Southern California was “Lactose Intolerant”**. With regards to bad breath, we have found these people (numbering in the tens of millions) end up with MORE dense proteins available as ‘bad breath fuel‘ for the bacteria than those who have no problem with dairy foods (milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, etc.) The end result is a buildup of amino acids, which are easily converted into volatile sulfur compounds by the anaerobic bacteria found within the surface of your tongue and throat.

To a lesser extent, we have seen patients who have the same problem with other dense protein foods such as: Beef, Chicken, Fish.

Another problem, thankfully rare, has to do with people who have an inability to break down certain proteins found in beans. This condition is called TMA (Trimethylaminuria) and is sometimes known as the “Fish Odor Syndrome”, because the odor produced is similar to decaying fish. The odor consists of sulfur compounds, plus nitrogen compounds (amines). People with this condition must abstain from beans and other dense protein foods.

Sugars:
Wouldn’t it be great if we could get rid of bad breath by chewing on M&Ms? Or what if the cure for bad breath were Hershey Kisses?

That’s what the makers of ALTOIDS would have you believe. Altoids, and other products of the same ilk, are trying to fool the public into believing that a strong “good” taste in your mouth is equivalent to the “goodness” of your breath. It is so anti-science, as to be absurd. If you think about it for a minute, it doesn’t even make sense.

By using concentrated MINT flavorings, your taste buds pick up MINT as a a taste. However, ALTOIDS, contains 2 types of sugar, which are Fuel for the bacteria to reproduce and create more sulfur compounds. In addition, and here’s the frightening part, other bacteria can take the sugars and produce glycan strands, which in turn end up causing thick layers of plaque on your enamel and around your gums. This leads to tooth decay and gum disease – and of course worse Breath than when you started.

But, since you can’t smell your own breath, you just go merrily along with that great strong mint taste in your mouth, while others close to you are backing away – backing away from your increase bad breath, decayed teeth, and gross swollen, bleeding gums!

Stay away from candies, mints, and chewing gum if they contain sugar.
As an alternative, we have created TheraBreath Oxygenating Chewing Gum. It releases Oxygen molecules directly in your mouth and also contains the antibacterial agent, Zinc Gluconate (found in many cold medications). In addition, as a sweetening agent we chose Xylitol, which is a natural ANTI-DECAY compound (Not SUGAR!) You can order TheraBreath Gum, by clicking the photo on the right:

Acidic Foods
Acidic foods are a problem as you’ll read below. Some foods you should watch out for are:

Coffee – both decaf and regular have acids (Tea is OK)
Tomato Juice

Citrus Juices:
Orange Juice
Pineapple Juice
Grapefruit Juice

pH is a term used to describe the acidity of the environment. (see table) The oral cavity has a normal pH of 6.5 (7 is neutral) which is in the acid range.

We know that acids make the bacteria reproduce much faster. In order to decrease the production of odorous sulfur compounds, we need to neutralize the acid environment. Our products are the only ones to be pH balanced in such a manner to do this most effectively. That is why our products do not leave a strange aftertaste like other products. As one patient recently told me: “I’m so glad I found your products. The taste of (a competitor¹s product) was worse than having the problem.

**According to the NIH (National Institutes of Health), lactose intolerance is the inability to digest significant amounts of lactose, the predominant sugar of milk. This inability results from a shortage of the enzyme lactase, which breaks down milk sugar into simpler forms that can then be absorbed into the bloodstream. When there is not enough lactase to digest the amount of lactose consumed, the results, although not usually dangerous, may be very distressing. While not all persons deficient in lactase have symptoms, those who do are considered to be lactose intolerant. For most people, though, lactase deficiency is a condition that develops naturally over time. After about the age of 2 years, the body begins to produce less lactase. However, many people may not experience symptoms until they are much older. Between 30 and 50 million Americans are lactose intolerant. Certain ethnic and racial populations are more widely affected than others. As many as 75% of all African Americans and American Indians and 90% of Asian Americans are lactose intolerant. The condition is least common among persons of northern European descent.