• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

The Joy of Wellness

Living better and longer, Natural Health

Main navigation

The Joy of Wellness

What? Would you like to find?
Browse by categories
  • Weight Loss
  • Health and Beauty
  • Diets and Nutrition
  • Natural Remedies
  • Alternative Medicine
  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Life in Fullness
  • The Joy of Wellness from A to Z
  • All topics

Is Parsley good for bad breath? Can it remove halitosis?

  • Royal Jelly and its amazing effects on Health and Beauty
  • Pasteurization: what is it and how does it affect dairy and probiotic foods

Published: 07/02/2020 - Updated: 07/09/2020

Author: Prof. Dr. Luis Ruiz-Garcia, PhD

Parsley (Petroselinum spp.) is a plant widely used for cooking and as a natural remedy. It has remarkable medicinal properties for the kidneys and the digestive system. It is good against cramps and to reduce gas. It is also used to induce menstruation (1).

Parsley and bad breath
Is Parsley good for bad breath?

Traditionally it has also been used as a folk remedy for halitosis or bad breath, but does it really remove bad breath? Is it advisable to use this plant against halitosis?

Contents

  • Organoleptic properties of parsley
  • Chlorophyll and bad breath
  • Chlorophyll fad in the United States
  • Summary

Organoleptic properties of parsley

Among the main characteristics of parsley is its fresh aroma and high chlorophyll content (which is why it gives the sauces and condiments their characteristic green colour).

It has a very characteristic smell that we usually associate with different recipes or dishes where it is a main ingredient. Also when it is grown in the garden, it gives off that very pleasant peculiar smell.

Its high content of chlorophyll makes it have that bright and attractive green, which we are used to seeing.

Chlorophyll and bad breath

Chlorophyll is a green pigment, which plants have, which intervenes during the process of photosynthesis. It is a compound of great importance, since without chlorophyll there could be no life on earth.

Chlorophyll fad in the United States

In the 1950s, several studies were conducted on the effect of chlorophyll on health and this made it fad in the United States. According to these studies, taking chlorophyll was a very good remedy for bad breath and body odor. The main researchers who worked on this were Dr. Benjamin Gruskin and Dr. F. Howard Westcott (2).

However, these studies are currently debunked. According to the National Council Against Health Fraud, chlorophyll cannot be absorbed into the human body and therefore cannot have beneficial effects on people with halitosis or body odor (3).

  • Sleep well to heal your skin
    MORE IN THE JOY OF WELLNESS
    Sleep well to heal your skin

On the other hand, there are also some scientific studies that state that parsley can eliminate bad smells due to sulphur compounds, such as those that cause bad breath, although these studies have not been carried out on people (4).

In this line, there are studies that have examined the effects of parsley in the mouth and have found that it can have a small initial effect of reducing bad odour (halitosis or bad breath), mainly because it masks it, but that it does not actually reduce the amount of sulphur compounds in the mouth (5).

According to this scientific study, green tea proves to be very effective in reducing bad breath over a longer period of time. In contrast, chewing gum, mint or parsley seed oil do not.

Summary

Parsley is a healthy food with multiple properties, but there is little scientific evidence that parsley can counteract bad breath.

  • Are you thirsty? (Excessive thirst): symptom of Diabetes, Kidney failure, Heart disease, etc.
    MORE IN THE JOY OF WELLNESS
    Are you thirsty? (Excessive thirst): symptom of Diabetes, Kidney failure, Heart disease, etc.

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Loading...

About the author

By Prof. Dr. Luis Ruiz-Garcia, PhD

Specialist in botany and medicinal plants. Professor Doctor at the Polytechnic University of Madrid. He is a passionate nature lover and a plant lover. Since he was a child he was learning the properties and benefits of medicinal plants. Later on, when he entered the university, he chose to study them in depth and then dedicate himself to them professionally. More information on his Linkedin.

Reader Interactions

You may also be interested

  • Get up! Fight Fatigue Get up! Fight Fatigue Easy tips for fighting fatigue. Get up!  There's still things to do...  How many times [...]
  • Papaya against Arthritis, Constipation, Premature aging, Detoxifying, etc. Papaya against Arthritis, Constipation, Premature aging, Detoxifying, etc. Papaya is definitely one of the most medicinal fruits in existence.  This fruit has so [...]
  • Dry Body Brushing: Rejuvenate, Tighten, and Treat Varicose Veins Dry Body Brushing: Rejuvenate, Tighten, and Treat Varicose Veins Body Brushing away dry sin is one of the most ancient and effective beauty techniques [...]

You are here: The Joy of Wellness » Natural Remedies » Is Parsley good for bad breath? Can it remove halitosis?

All about Natural Remedies

  • Soothe your Calluses and Forget about your Foot Pain Soothe your Calluses and Forget about your Foot Pain Generally the feet get the least amount of attention and care.  And they are also [...]
  • Bring life to your Hair with Natural Remedies Bring life to your Hair with Natural Remedies If your hair looks dry, mistreated, or on the other hand, if you have an [...]
  • Bee venom: A possible cure for AIDS Bee venom: A possible cure for AIDS New posibilities of health treatments with Bee venom. A few years ago, AIDS (Acquired Immune [...]
  • Home Remedies to fight Stretch Marks Home Remedies to fight Stretch Marks The skin has the property of being elastic, but if it is stretched for long [...]
  • Advice for Perfect Feet Advice for Perfect Feet Some tips for having perfect feet. Our feet do a lot for us; they support [...]
Footer
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Copyright © 2023 · The Joy of Wellness
   
Disclaimer  About Us  Cookies Policy  Privacy Policy  Contact  Topics
The services, content and products on our website are for information purposes only. The Joy of Wellness does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment