Magnolia officinalis for Bad Breath

One of the latest and most encouraging discoveries in the management of oral malodor uses extract of Magnolia officinalis for bad breath. The extract (MBE) can easily be produced from the stem bark of the magnolia tree, and incorporated into products such as chewing gum and mints to produce a fast acting, portable, and effective breath freshening agent. The substance doesn’t just mask offensive odors with a pleasant smell: scientific research indicates that it actually causes a rapid reduction in the number of odor-producing bacteria in the mouth, thereby providing a lasting benefit.

Until now, gum and mints for halitosis have been mostly a short term aid, used to produce a pleasant smell on the breath while the product is actually in the mouth. The effect fades quickly as soon as the mint dissolves or the flavor of the gum dissipates, sometimes leaving an unpleasant taste in the mouth. While some of the ingredients in these products do have antibacterial properties, the amounts that can be delivered in a single mint or stick of gum are insufficient to really do any good. Using Magnolia officinalis for bad breath seems to be different: controlled scientific study has found that mints containing just 0.2% MBE reduce virtually all of the bacterial species studied within five minutes.

It seems that we might have learned of the potential of Magnolia officinalis for bad breath much sooner if we had listened to ancient Chinese wisdom. The bark extract involved has long been used by the Chinese for everything from headache, through fever, and stress relief. Research in other medical specialties reveals that it may be useful against various other common infections and studies with MBE gum and mints for halitosis suggest, as an incidental finding, that it may help prevent tooth decay as well, by killing the bacteria associated with that. It seems almost too good to be true.

Extravagant claims have been made about the potential of many commercial products, including gum and mints for halitosis, for relief of oral malodor. To date, however, research has not provided the answer to why people suffer from the problem in the first place, or how to get rid of it for good. These answers are still to come. Similarly, using Magnolia officinalis for bad breath will not be a cure if the conditions that allowed the bacteria to proliferate in the first place are not corrected. None the less, a truly effective, portable breath freshener could revolutionize daily life for millions of people.

Source:
Greenberg, Michael. Philip Urnezis and Minmin Tian. “Compressed Mints and Chewing Gum Containing Magnolia Bark Extract Are Effective against Bacteria Responsible for Oral Malodor” J. Agric. Food Chem., 2007, 55 (23), pp 9465–9469.