Bad breath could signal H. pylori infection.

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Dr. Ender Serin and his team at Baskent University in Turkey suggest that persistent bad breath could be a sign that an individual is infected with ulcer-causing Helicobacter pylori bacteria.

In a recent study, 148 people with indigestion and bad breath were given medicines to eliminate the bacterium. Results published in the European Journal of Internal Medicine show that before treatment, bad breath was the third most common symptom, behind bloating and pain. Four weeks later, many patients reported their bad breath had disappeared.

In those with confirmed H. pylori eradication, the most successfully resolved symptoms were halitosis and hunger-like pain, according to the research team.

Other evidence supports the link. In 1996, Dr. Barry Marshall, who discovered that ulcers were caused by bacteria...