How long does garlic breath last?

The mouth part is strongest right after eating and falls off fairly quickly, faster with brushing. The part breathed out from the lungs can last many hours; food scientists note garlic breath may persist for almost a day.

Does brushing your teeth get rid of garlic breath?

Partly. Brushing and cleaning your tongue remove garlic compounds in your mouth, but not allyl methyl sulfide coming from your blood through your lungs.

Does lemon juice or parsley help garlic breath?

MedlinePlus says fresh parsley or strong mint can temporarily mask bad breath. Lemon juice has not been tested as thoroughly as raw apple, lettuce, mint or milk.

Why can I still smell garlic on my breath the next day?

Allyl methyl sulfide is absorbed into your blood and released slowly through your lungs, so it can outlast brushing and mints. Some people also notice it in their sweat. It fades as your body clears it.

Does chewing gum help garlic breath?

Sugar-free gum gets saliva flowing and can mask the smell for a while. It does less than raw apple, lettuce or mint in the studies, and it cannot stop the part coming from your lungs.

How to Get Rid of Garlic Breath (and Onion Breath)

Why garlic and onion breath lasts so long

Garlic and onions are full of sulfur compounds that are released when you chop, crush or chew them. They cause breath odor in two stages:

In your mouth, right away. Compounds such as allyl mercaptan and diallyl disulfide coat your mouth and tongue. These are strongest immediately after eating and respond to brushing, rinsing and food.
From your lungs, for hours. In a 1999 study, researchers found that allyl methyl sulfide (AMS) was the one garlic gas that came from the gut rather than the mouth. It is absorbed, carried in the blood and breathed out, and three hours after eating it was the main sulfur gas on the breath.

That second stage is why garlic breath can survive brushing, and why food researchers say it may persist for almost a day.

What actually works for garlic breath

Remedy	Evidence	Tips
Raw apple	Significantly reduced all main garlic breath compounds in a 2016 study	Eat it with or right after the meal; raw worked better than juice
Raw lettuce	Significantly reduced all main garlic compounds in the same study	A side salad helps
Fresh mint leaves	Significantly reduced the compounds	Whole leaves, not mint candy
Milk	Reduced garlic compounds in a 2010 study; whole milk worked better than fat-free on some compounds	Most effective when drunk with the garlic, not after

Researchers think enzymes and plant compounds called phenolics in raw fruit and vegetables react with garlic's sulfur compounds and neutralize them. Heated apple and lettuce still reduced some of the compounds, but raw worked across the board.

Brushing, flossing and tongue cleaning after garlic

Mouth hygiene handles the first stage. After a garlicky meal:

Brush your teeth and floss to remove food particles.
Clean your tongue. Garlic oils and food bits sit in the tongue's surface, and the coating at the back holds odors.
Drink water to keep saliva flowing.
Chew sugar-free gum afterward if you cannot brush.

Cleveland Clinic notes that mints and mouthwash only mask odor. They can help for a short while, but they will not stop allyl methyl sulfide coming from your lungs.

Onion breath

Onions contain related sulfur compounds and behave in a similar way, especially raw onions. MedlinePlus lists garlic and raw onions among foods that cause breath odor, and Cleveland Clinic advises avoiding both in the short term if you are worried about your breath. The same food-based fixes and good mouth cleaning are a reasonable approach, though the research above focused on garlic.

Planning ahead

Pair garlic with raw produce. Adding garlic to a dish with raw apple, lettuce or mint, or drinking milk with the meal, gives the deodorizing effect a head start.
Time it. If you have an important meeting, skip raw garlic the night before, since the lung-borne part can last into the next day.

If you have not eaten garlic or onions and your breath smells garlicky, see breath that smells like garlic for other causes.

How do you get rid of garlic breath?