Actor Shilpa Shetty Replaces Commercial Mints With Traditional Indian Seeds for Better Health

Actor Shilpa Shetty avoids commercial mints and prefers a traditional mix of jeera, saunf, ajwain, and elaichi as a mouth freshener. Medical experts explain that this desi blend offers significant health benefits compared to store-bought alternatives.

Health Benefits

Dr Jinal Patel, chief dietician at Apollo Spectra Hospitals, states that fennel seeds help prevent bad breath, relax stomach muscles, reduce gas, and ease cramps while providing fibre that lowers inflammation and aids digestion. Ajwain and jeera also prevent and treat gastric issues and chronic indigestion. Cardamom brings antioxidants that support metabolic health, reduce gut inflammation, and provide a mild mood-lifting effect through its essential oils and aroma.

Dental Risks

In contrast, Dr Ninad Muley, consultant prosthodontist and implantologist at Apollo Hospitals in Navi Mumbai, warns that over-the-counter mints contain acidic flavourings that cause dental erosion when chewed for a long time. Tooth enamel cannot grow back once lost. Bacteria feed on sugars in mints to create acids, which raise the risk of cavities. Chewing mints on just one side of the mouth can also strain the jaw joint, causing pain, headaches, and earaches. Constant chewing leads to swallowing extra air, causing bloating and gas, while sugar-free mint sweeteners like sorbitol can upset the stomach.

Context

Traditional Indian mouth fresheners have long been used after meals to aid digestion using natural kitchen ingredients like fennel and cumin. Health professionals often advise looking closely at the ingredients in processed candies and commercial breath fresheners to protect long-term dental and stomach health.