Problems with so called "bad breath" have plagued many animals, including humans as far as time can recall. Many different products and methods have been utilized to cover up these offensive odors at various points in time. Frequently, aromatic substances were used for local application to the oral cavity as a means to mask these offensive odors. These efforts have given rise to the enormous breath spray and breath lozenge industry. These products typically only mask the odors, and then for only a short time. They generally only act on the local environment of the oral cavity and upper end of the throat.
As more sophistication developed in this field, it was recognized that some of the offensive odors associated with breath were due to bacteria in the oral cavity, or decaying food particles retained in the mouth. An increased emphasis on brushing the teeth, gums, and tongue as well as greater emphasis on flossing, began to address some of the issues that mere breath mints, breath sprays, and mouthwashes and rinses could not address Unfortunately, these methods addressed only the local oral cavity and not any of the issues of more remote sources of the offensive odors.
Still more recently it has been recognized that much of the offense breath odors are actually not generated locally in the mouth and throat, but more remotely in the stomach and other portions of the intestinal tract. This is particularly evident with the breath from someone with heartburn and belching, where the breath may be heavily tainted with the smell of chyme, a particularly offensive odor. Other sources of offensive breath odor have been recognized as the elimination of substances directly through the lungs.
Digestive aids have been known for some time. Many of these are simply antacids, such as alkaline hydroxides or antacid/gas producing products, such as mineral carbonates and bicarbonates. Other digestive aids have been known in the herbal area, such as ginger, licorice, and chamomile. These substances have been known as flavorings (ginger and licorice); as carminatives (ginger and chamomile), as a remedy for indigestion generally (chamomile), as intestinal stimulants and/or laxatives (ginger and licorice) and as emetics (chamomile); These herbal properties show that the herbs are working in many differing areas to ease "gastrointestinal discomfort", which discomfort may be caused by excessive gas production, a slowing and distension of the upper or lower bowel, or retention in the stomach of an irritant or other noxious substance needing removal. (See particularly Remington: The Science and Practice of Pharmacy, 19th Edition, Mack Publishing, Easton, Pa. 1995, pp. 1387, 1391, 1393, & 1394; Pharmacognosy, 6th edition, Claus et al Editors, Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia, 1970, p 11, 112, & 214; and Martindale: the Extra Pharmacopoeia, 27th Edition, The Pharmaceutical Press, London, England, 1977). Carminative properties, which help to expel gases from the gastrointestinal tract, either through release via the oral and nasal cavities or through the lower intestine and rectum would also be expected to promote release of offensive odors originating in the stomach via one's breath This is clearly opposite the present invention's goal of improving or controlling offensive breath odors while simultaneously aiding digestion.