Tongue Bugs

By Sarah Richardson
Oct 1, 1995 5:00 AMNov 12, 2019 6:04 AM

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Even the most well mannered mouth is like a sewer: it teems with bacteria. But using mouthwash may not be the appropriate response. According to a group of British researchers, the bacteria that live on the back of the tongue, at least, are our friends. They convert food-derived nitrate in saliva into a chemical that kills harmful germs in the stomach.

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