Serrapeptase isn't a breath freshener. It won't really help you if you never brush. But in a few cases of persistent bad breath, serratiopeptidase may be what you need to get halitosis under control.

The usual cause of really awful bad breath that just won't go away isn't eating onions or garlic, or a problem with the digestive tract, or any failure to attend to oral hygiene. The most common cause of persistent bad breath is a sticky, plastic-like, gray or white biofilm of bacteria on the back of the tongue.

Just as you shed your skin, you shed cells on the surface of your tongue. The difference on your tongue is that it is covered with taste buds and indentations that capture food so it can be tasted and then pushed down your throat. Dead tongue cells tend accumulate in these crannies and crevices and decay. They break down into amino acids with accurately descriptive names such as cadaverine and putrescine, and they also release hydrogen sulfide, which is the major component of rotten egg odor.

You can brush your teeth 10 times a day and you'll still miss the 40% of all bad breath bacteria that live on your tongue. And because these bacteria secrete a protein-filled glue, your bad breath simply never goes away until the film is removed.

Gentle scraping of your tongue will loosen the film and begin to clear up your breath in about a month. Serratiopeptidase speeds up the process.

Serrapeptase (also called serratiopeptidase) is a proteolytic enzyme. It breaks up the proteins bacteria excrete to anchor themselves to the lining of your tongue. This isn't enough to get rid of the bacteria. They will still rest on your tongue until something pushes them away, but taking serratiopeptidase makes the job of cleaning your tongue just a little more effective. And if a bottle of serratiopeptidase helps you get control over chronic bad breath in two weeks instead of four, most people would consider it a good investment.

It's important to remember that ultimately you have to do some of the work. But the enzyme serratiopeptidase can help make your efforts pay off a lot faster.