Other articles by Andrew Weil:

Ask Dr. Weil: Role of hormones in cancer of prostateAsk Dr. Weil: Online courses available for nutrition educationAsk Dr. Weil: Boost resistance to upper-respiratory infectionAsk Dr. Weil: Enlarged breasts in boys resolved oils Ask Dr. Weil by Andrew Weil : A new slant on carpal tunnel Ask Dr. Weil by Andrew Weil : Mineral-based makeup appears to be safe to use Ask Dr. Weil: Anti-inflammatory food pyramid on Web site Ask Dr. Weil by Andrew Weil : No reason to doubt lycopene benefits Ask Dr. Weil: There's no proof that chaparral cleanses toxins Ask Dr. Weil by Andrew Weil : Ayurvedic cleansing rids the body of toxins

General
GROUNDS CONTROL
LANDCAPE FOREMAN & LABORERS Technical
Yavapai College
Analyst Banner Programmer Health Care
SOUTHERN ARIZONA ENDODONTICS I
NSURANCE PROCESSOR General
Prestige Maintenance USA
Area Manager Health Care
Freedom Manor
Caregivers Health Care
Carondelet Foothills Surgery
Pre-Op Nurse Dental
Apache Dental
Porcelain Techs

QCan you suggest any natural remedies for bad breath?

AThe usual cause of bad breath is bacteria growing on food that accumulates between the teeth, on the tongue and around the gums. The obvious solution is brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing between your teeth daily and brushing your tongue as well as your teeth. You can do this with a toothbrush or a gum scraper, a special metal or plastic instrument you use once or twice a day. I wouldn't put much faith in mouthwashes like Scope or Listerine to eliminate bad breath. While they may help, they often don't penetrate into the crevices of the tongue. That's why I prefer brushing or scraping the tongue directly. It may seem uncomfortable at first, but you will quickly get used to it.

Switching toothpastes might also help to resolve a bad breath problem. Try one containing chlorine dioxide, or look in your local health-food or herb store for products containing tea-tree oil, a powerful disinfectant that smells a bit like eucalyptus.

To deal with temporary bad breath stemming from eating garlic, onions or other pungent foods, try chewing a bit of parsley or some fennel seeds. Brushing, flossing and mouthwashes don't eliminate this kind of odor but can mask it until your body eliminates the food that is responsible. Avoid regular use of breath-freshening mints containing the artificial sweetener aspartame, which tastes peculiar and has been linked with headaches in some people.

Persistent bad breath (or a bad taste in the mouth) can be a warning sign of gum disease. Here, the bacteria that make up plaque create toxins that irritate the gums, so that they become inflamed and may bleed. If you have regular dental checkups, your dentist should spot early signs of this problem and recommend treatment (often from a periodontist).

Another potential cause of bad breath is dry mouth due to insufficient secretion of saliva as a result of salivary gland problems, breathing through the mouth or taking one or more of a number of medications that make the mouth dry. These include decongestants, diuretics and other blood-pressure medications, antidepressants, antihistamines, muscle relaxants, drugs for urinary incontinence, and drugs used to treat Parkinson's disease. If you take any such drugs regularly, ask your doctor or pharmacist to suggest an alternative.

Bad breath can also be a sign of thrush, postnasal drip, chronic bronchitis, a respiratory tract infection, diabetes, a gastrointestinal problem, or liver or kidney disease. Before investigating these possible causes, see your dentist to determine whether your breath problem originates in your mouth. If not, see your physician to investigate further.

QAre there any dangers to eating sushi?

ADuring the past few decades, sushi has become increasingly popular in North America. Some people are still concerned by potential health problems from eating raw fish, but, overall, sushi has proved to be quite safe. The last notable scare was in Bentonville, Ark., in 2006, when 123 people became sick after eating at a local sushi restaurant. Health officials confirmed 30 cases of salmonellosis.

For safety's sake, the FDA requires that fish to be served raw remain frozen for seven days at a temperature of minus-4 degrees Fahrenheit (or for 15 hours at a temperature of minus-31 degrees Fahrenheit in a blast freezer). Freezing kills any parasitic worms and their larvae that may infect some species of fish (including salmon, herring and cod) and that can make you pretty sick. Symptoms of an infection depend on the type of worm, ranging from nausea, cramps and diarrhea to severe abdominal inflammation and pain that can develop within an hour after eating. Surgery may be necessary to remove one of these parasites, the roundworm Anisakis simplex.

If you make your own sushi at home, don't use raw fish that hasn't been adequately frozen. Note that home freezers usually can't produce low enough temperatures. When you buy fish to make sushi at home, be sure to choose only "sushi grade" or "sashimi grade," terms which indicate that the fish has been commercially frozen according to FDA regulations.

There are some exceptions to the freezing rule: Certain species of tuna, including yellowfin, don't need to be deep-frozen. But I advise against eating tuna, as well as bluefish, swordfish, king mackerel, tile fish and marlin in any form because of the high levels of mercury they contain. This is especially important if you're pregnant or planning to become pregnant.

To find a list of the types of sushi considered safe to eat during pregnancy, visit the Natural Resources Defense Council's Web site (www.nrdc.org). In addition, anyone with compromised immunity (including young children, the elderly and anyone with a chronic illness) should avoid sushi made with raw seafood.