Skip to main content

Science Gets to the Bottom of Bad Breath

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Feb 19, 2024.

By Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Feb. 19, 2021 -- Bad breath: No one wants it, but its origins have long remained unclear.

Now, Japanese researchers have gotten a bit closer to understanding how bad breath begins, and perhaps ways to treat it.

The roots of the malady involve chemicals, including one called methyl mercaptan, that are produced by bacteria in the mouth. These bacteria aid in digestion, explained a team led by Takeshi Hara, of Osaka University.

Methyl mercaptan is also known as CH3SH, and in the new study Hara's group created a "realistic environment in which to investigate CH3SH production by major oral bacteria."

That meant building a complex "co-culture system" in the lab that tracked interactions between various bacterial species populating the human mouth.

“The results were very intriguing,” said senior study author Masae Kuboniwa. “We found that [the bacterial species] Fusobacterium nucleatum produces large quantities of CH3SH in response to Streptococcus gordonii, another oral bacterium.”

Specifically, S. gordonii emits a chemical called ornithine that triggers F. nucleatum to engage in a chemical process leading to increased production of odor-producing CH3SH.

"These findings suggest that CH3SH production in the mouth is driven by the interaction between S. gordonii and F. nucleatum,” Hara said in a university news release.

It's still early days for this research, but the investigators hope their work might lead to good treatments for bad breath.

And since it's already well known that gum disease is a risk factor for the problem, it's also possible that it might help prevent or treat that illness, they said.

The study was published recently in the online journal mSystems.

Sources

  • University of Osaka, news release, Feb. 15, 2024

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted February 2024

Read this next

A Matcha Mouthwash Might Fight Gum Disease

TUESDAY, May 21, 2024 -- Matcha green tea has the potential to keep gum disease at bay, a new study finds. Lab experiments show that matcha can inhibit the growth of...

PTSD Triples Odds for Teeth Grinding, Study Finds

THURSDAY, May 16, 2024 -- People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) face more than triple the odds of bruxism, otherwise known as teeth grinding, a new study finds. The...

A Hidden Culprit Behind A-Fib: Gum Disease

THURSDAY, April 11, 2024 -- Oral health might have an impact on heart health, a new study has found. Folks treated for an irregular heart rhythm were more likely to keep a...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.