The tongue is generally known to serve the purpose of helping us eat and speak but it can perform more than these basic functions.
Among all other organs, the tongue is acclaimed to be one of the most correct gauges of the state of the digestive tract and the most precise indicator of some internal diseases. Yet, it is common to find that most people ignore their hardest-working muscle.
The colour, texture and moisture of your tongue can provide revealing signs of what's going on inside your body which is why it is one part of your body that you must study every morning before you brush your teeth or eat anything. According to medical practitioners, it can tell you if you've properly digested your food from the night before, if your colon is clear, if your organs are happy, if you could use a cleanse, if you're holding onto too much anxiety or fear and it can even aid in diagnosing disease.
Scientists say that the heart and liver are reflected in the front part of the tongue. The middle part of the tongue shows the state of the stomach. The root of the tongue is responsible for the state of the lower part of the bowels and the sides reflect the state of the liver and kidneys. Among all other organs, the tongue is acclaimed to be one of the most correct gauges of the state of the digestive tract and the most precise indicator of some internal diseases. Yet, it is common to find that most people ignore their hardest-working muscle.
The colour, texture and moisture of your tongue can provide revealing signs of what's going on inside your body which is why it is one part of your body that you must study every morning before you brush your teeth or eat anything. According to medical practitioners, it can tell you if you've properly digested your food from the night before, if your colon is clear, if your organs are happy, if you could use a cleanse, if you're holding onto too much anxiety or fear and it can even aid in diagnosing disease.
Here are some of the common red flags experts say your tongue might be raising about your health;
Pale and smooth
When people are suffering from iron-deficiency anaemia, the tongue can take on an abnormally pale, smooth look. “That's because when your body is dealing with a lack of iron, your blood doesn't have the necessary oxygen-carrying capacity to keep the tissues red,” explains Dr. Toyin.
And the result of that lack of oxygen in the blood is that all of the tissue including the tongue become pale.
However, once the anaemia is under control and the blood is once again well-oxygenated, the tongue will go back to its healthy pink shade.
Turning yellow
And the result of that lack of oxygen in the blood is that all of the tissue including the tongue become pale.
However, once the anaemia is under control and the blood is once again well-oxygenated, the tongue will go back to its healthy pink shade.
Turning yellow
A yellowish tint on the tongue is often a clue that there is some sort of fungal or bacterial infection in the mouth. It could also mean your bile quotient is high. Occasionally, changes in the tongue's colour will happen only in patchesa condition, known as “geographic tongue.” In that case, some spots on the tongue will become yellow while other areas remain normal and pink.
A bumpy surface
A bumpy surface
The tiny projections on the top of the tongue, including the taste buds, normally stick up a little bit. But occasionally one will get temporarily inflamed, red, and a bit sore. As with canker sores, as long as the area returns to normal within a time span of a few days, the inflammation is most likely harmless. “But if it turns very red or white, is painful and tender, and most importantly, doesn't go away, it could be a sign of oral cancer.
Too dark
Too dark
A healthy tongue should have a warm, pinkish colour, so when it looks dark, brown or black, you need to wonder why. Chances are the answer will be in your diet, lifestyle or your medicine cabinet.
Frequently feasting on spicy meals, antibiotics and harsh mouthwash can darken the surface of the tongue over time. Also drinking a lot of coffee, smoking or chewing tobacco can stain the tongue a brownish shade. This can cause everything from constipation to lack of sleep.
What your tongue is telling you is that your system is 'dry' and needs ample hydration. Again, the consumption of ample water and plenty of juicy fruits should help.
Sore spots
Frequently feasting on spicy meals, antibiotics and harsh mouthwash can darken the surface of the tongue over time. Also drinking a lot of coffee, smoking or chewing tobacco can stain the tongue a brownish shade. This can cause everything from constipation to lack of sleep.
What your tongue is telling you is that your system is 'dry' and needs ample hydration. Again, the consumption of ample water and plenty of juicy fruits should help.
Sore spots
They may be small, but canker sores or mouth ulcers (which occur in the mouth, including the tongue) can be extremely painful. A normal canker will heal up and vanish in a week to 10 days.
Something that lasts longer and doesn't seem to be going away could be a sign of oral cancer and should be checked out by your doctor immediately.
Diet secrets to a healthy tongue
Something that lasts longer and doesn't seem to be going away could be a sign of oral cancer and should be checked out by your doctor immediately.
Diet secrets to a healthy tongue
LIKE many other organs and glands of the body, our tongue is either directly or indirectly influenced by a person's dietary habits. Therefore, a proper combination of healthy nutrition and tongue disease treatment is vital.
The following are recommended, tips to get and keep a healthy tongue.
Go for whole foods: We should go for “whole foods” which offer a recommended combination of nutrients instead of consuming processed, deep fired (e.g. fast food) or refined foods. As the name implies, whole foods are those foods that are unprocessed, unrefined and can be consumed without additives. Good examples of whole foods include: Fruits (especially citrus fruits), potatoes, brown rice, green leafy vegetables, chicken, fatty fish, beans, milk, raw nuts and pure honey.
Go veggie: It should be remembered that, to keep our tongue, teeth, gums and body healthy and disease-free, we should eat at least 5 portions of fruit or vegetables per day. Dark green leafy vegetables, in particular, are a rich source of multivitamins and minerals our body needs to stay healthy, such as vitamins A, C, and K, folate, iron and calcium.
Research suggests that the nutrients found in dark green vegetables prevent certain types of tongue and mouth cancers and promote oral health.
Choose nuts & seeds: Add nutrient-dense and unprocessed foods such as sprouted nuts and seeds to diets. Nuts like walnuts and cashews and seeds are rich in proteins and, hence, considered as good foods to help cure and control tongue disease.
Avoid between-meal snacks: By eating too frequently, we barrage our tongue with small bits of food that can damage it.
All in all, adopt a healthy and well-balanced diet that contains components from all food groups. Making wise food choices can help prevent oral disease in all age groups.
How to properly scrape your tongue
Every morning, we should clean the tongue thoroughly for a fresh breath and to aid in digestion. This is how to do it:
Buy a steel scraper for best results or use a tablespoon. Stick out your tongue, and starting from the back, as far back as is comfortable for you, gently smooth the scraper over your tongue. Scrapers can be sharp, and if you haven't used one before, be careful when using one. Some people prefer to use the back of a spoon, which is also fine.
When the scraper slides over your tongue, the coating on the surface will start to come off. Rinse the scraper, and begin again, until the coating is all gone and your tongue is pink again. This should take up to 7 strokes of the scraper or more depending on the amount of coating.
You'll feel your breath freshen because the bacteria will have fallen away.
The following are recommended, tips to get and keep a healthy tongue.
Go for whole foods: We should go for “whole foods” which offer a recommended combination of nutrients instead of consuming processed, deep fired (e.g. fast food) or refined foods. As the name implies, whole foods are those foods that are unprocessed, unrefined and can be consumed without additives. Good examples of whole foods include: Fruits (especially citrus fruits), potatoes, brown rice, green leafy vegetables, chicken, fatty fish, beans, milk, raw nuts and pure honey.
Go veggie: It should be remembered that, to keep our tongue, teeth, gums and body healthy and disease-free, we should eat at least 5 portions of fruit or vegetables per day. Dark green leafy vegetables, in particular, are a rich source of multivitamins and minerals our body needs to stay healthy, such as vitamins A, C, and K, folate, iron and calcium.
Research suggests that the nutrients found in dark green vegetables prevent certain types of tongue and mouth cancers and promote oral health.
Choose nuts & seeds: Add nutrient-dense and unprocessed foods such as sprouted nuts and seeds to diets. Nuts like walnuts and cashews and seeds are rich in proteins and, hence, considered as good foods to help cure and control tongue disease.
Avoid between-meal snacks: By eating too frequently, we barrage our tongue with small bits of food that can damage it.
All in all, adopt a healthy and well-balanced diet that contains components from all food groups. Making wise food choices can help prevent oral disease in all age groups.
How to properly scrape your tongue
Every morning, we should clean the tongue thoroughly for a fresh breath and to aid in digestion. This is how to do it:
Buy a steel scraper for best results or use a tablespoon. Stick out your tongue, and starting from the back, as far back as is comfortable for you, gently smooth the scraper over your tongue. Scrapers can be sharp, and if you haven't used one before, be careful when using one. Some people prefer to use the back of a spoon, which is also fine.
When the scraper slides over your tongue, the coating on the surface will start to come off. Rinse the scraper, and begin again, until the coating is all gone and your tongue is pink again. This should take up to 7 strokes of the scraper or more depending on the amount of coating.
You'll feel your breath freshen because the bacteria will have fallen away.
