While millions include mouthwash as a staple in their daily hygiene routines, UK-based nutritionist Zib Atkins warned that standard oral rinses may be causing more harm than good. In a February 2026 Instagram video, Zib revealed he has permanently stopped using mouthwash, calling it a ‘nuclear bomb for the bacteria in your mouth’.
According to Zib, the primary issue lies in the indiscriminate nature of antibacterial rinses. Rather than selectively targeting bad breath, these products wipe out the entire oral microbiome, a consequence he compares to the overuse of prescription medication, he highlighted.
“You’d never take antibiotics every day for your gut, would you? Because you’d know it would destroy your gut microbiome and damage your health,” Zib said, adding, “So why do the same thing for your oral microbiome?”
The nitric oxide connection
The disruption of this delicate oral ecosystem can have far-reaching effects on systemic health. Zib pointed out that specific strains of mouth bacteria are vital for synthesising nitric oxide, a compound crucial for cardiovascular health. “Your mouth is home to the bacteria that produce nitric oxide,” he explained.
“Nitric oxide is essential for healthy blood vessels and for blood pressure. But when you blast your mouth with this kind of antibacterial mouthwash, you reduce those bacteria,” Zib added. He further noted that the long-term implications extend beyond oral hygiene, citing clinical evidence linking mouthwash use to severe metabolic conditions: “Human studies have shown that this could be linked with higher blood pressure, even an increased risk of things like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Not what you want, right?”
An ancient alternative backed by modern science
Rather than relying on chemical rinses to achieve minty breath, Zib advocated for an ancient alternative: tongue scraping. He suggested that manually clearing the tongue allows people to maintain hygiene without compromising beneficial microbes: “You don’t need to kill your oral microbiome to have fresh breath. That’s the thing.”
Zib added, “You just need to remove the biofilm that sits on the back of your tongue. And this is exactly what tongue scraping does. It clears the coating on the back of your tongue that causes bad breath.”
According to him, the benefits of the practice are twofold, simultaneously eliminating odours while promoting systemic wellness: “It increases the good bacteria that are linked with improvements in your health and longevity.” Zib further shared, “Now, this is an ancient practice. It’s been around for many hundreds of years, if not thousands. But now, it’s got some solid modern science behind it.”
In the caption accompanying his video, Zib reiterated that people need to rethink what ‘fresh breath’ truly means. “Most people think mouthwash equals fresh breath. In reality, it can be doing the opposite for your health,” he wrote. “Fresh breath does not come from killing everything in your mouth. It comes from removing the biofilm that builds up on the back of your tongue. That is why tongue scraping works. It removes the coating that causes bad breath without damaging your oral microbiome,” Zib added.
Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. Tezzbuzz.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice.
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