by Regé-Jean Page, who played the Duke of Hastings in the first season of The Bridgertonshas acknowledged in an interview that the sex scenes they had something very unpleasant for him and his partner, phoebe dynevor: he bad breath. Specifically, he says that the breath of both of them smelled a lot of coffee and that this made their approaches more unpleasant.
By boat we might soon wonder why the actor classifies the smell of coffee like bad breath After all, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee is delicious. However, it is true that once we drink it and begin to process it, the smell that our mouth gives off is not the same. Regular drinkers of this black potion know it well.
But why this? What was going on in the mouths of the two protagonists of The Bridgertons? Science, as always, has the answer.
What causes bad breath?
Before delving into the subject of coffee, it is worth remembering what causes the bad breath, in general.
Broadly speaking, the bad smell coming from the mouth is due to the production of certain malodorous compounds in the bacteria metabolism who live in it. Now, for these bacteria to perform these functions, they need products to break down. The more sugary, the more they are used, and the worse the breath can smell. But, in general, they can take advantage of any other food, which is why it is so important to maintain a good oral hygiene.
On the other hand, this effect is also enhanced with certain tobacco components. Even with some medications. And if there is an infection, due to which the number of bacteria is higher, it is also logical that there is bad breath. Now, what does it have to do with coffee In all this?
The causes of the smell of coffee in The Bridgertons
Coffee contains substances that make saliva precipitates on our tongue. this, very roughly, means that the saliva becomes more solid, losing its lubricating power. The result is that, when drinking coffee, we tend to notice the driest mouth. And this is precisely the cause of bad breath.
Saliva has many functions, including keeping bacterial populations in the mouth at bay and also digest food scraps that remain in it. If we have less saliva, there will be more bacteria and, in addition, they will have more food to work on to produce those smelly compounds that we have seen before.
On the other hand, coffee contains sulfur compounds, which are a great substrate for some of the bacteria that cause bad odor. As a result, they not only take advantage of the food leftovers that are already there, but the coffee itself becomes an ideal ingredient for bad smell. And even more if it contains a large amount of sugar or milk.
Page has explained in the Late Show of Stephen Colbert that his partner and he they agreed that there was no problem, because they both like coffee. But of course, freshly brewed coffee is not the same as bad breath caused by coffee. Even so, the two proved to be great actors; well, seeing the intimate scenes between the two, no one would imagine that they were holding their breath for the Bad smell of the other. Rather, they could contain it for many other reasons.
