What does Your Tongue Say about Your Health?

So you always thought that your tongue is for tasting and talking? How about we tell you that it can reveal a lot of secrets about your health? Yes! It’s true. Your tongue can tell about your body’s health condition. In the Traditional Chinese Medicine, the tongue is used to predict physical health. In other words it is considered as a map that tells about the condition of various organs. For example the sides are connected with the liver health. The tip reveals the heart health. Kidney health can be detected from the back of the tongue.

Your tongue can detect digestive disorders, allergies, dehydration, vitamin deficiency, high cholesterol levels, poor circulation and signs of anemia.

Now go in front of a mirror and stick out your tongue, you should be looking at a pinkish colored tongue having a light coating and should also be moist. If this is not the case then there might be some problems going on, inside your body.

The Chinese herbalists look for three things in a tongue i.e. color, texture and coating. This is what they say about these three things:

COLOR

Check the color of your tongue, if it matches any  of the following colors then serious measures should be taken by you.

• Bright Red
  A bright red tongue indicates that your body lacks essential nutrients like vitamin B complex and Iron. Some herbalists suggest that it indicates heat in specific organs.  It can also take place as a reaction to a certain type of toothpaste, medicine, mouthwash or acidic foods.
  The deficiency of vitamin B3 also known as pellagra, causing this problem of redness can be cured by consuming shellfish, dried apricots, lean meat and nuts.
  Iron deficiency or anemia can be cured by consuming spinach, red meat and liver.
  You can get rid of excess heat of the body by consuming foods like watermelon, mint and cucumber.
• Purple
  A purple tongue indicates that you might be having chronic bronchitis. In such a situation oxygen is not supplied to the body efficiently. Purple tongue may also indicate high cholesterol levels. Poor circulation may also be the cause of this color. Consuming too much of cold foods can also cause the tongue to turn purple. Consuming foods like garlic and ginger may turn the color back to pink, otherwise consult your doctor.
• Pale or Yellow 
  Pale tongue indicates that you might be having low hemoglobin. It may also indicate fatigue and weakness. Pale tongue is also associated with problems in the lungs and colon. You can take herbs like garlic, cinnamon and ginger to resolve the problem. To increase your hemoglobin take spinach, beetroots, red meat, kidney beans, raisins, apples, mangoes, apricots and nuts.

• TEXTURE

  As mentioned earlier your tongue should appear smooth and it should be slightly moist. If that is not the case then it might have the following texture and problems:
  • Ulcers
    Ulcers may appear on the tongue and mouth if your body is stressed out. If the problem persists for more than 10 days then consult your medical specialist.
  • Red Spots
    Red spots on the tongue could indicate several problems. It may indicate that you have a deficiency of bioflavonoids, a compound present in vitamin C. You can get bioflavonoids from berries, kiwis and citrus fruits.
    Consuming hot beverages may also cause red spots on the tongue.
    According to some Chinese herbalists red spots show signs of asthma, eczema or some other allergic reactions.
  • Dryness
    Dry tongue tells that your body is producing too much mucus. To avoid this situation cut down on dairy and sugary products.
    Another factor is stress, which can cause the salivary glands to swell and therefore your tongue becomes dry. This condition can be easily resolved by consuming a glass of lemon water. You can also treat it by reducing your stress levels. Seek help from yoga and meditation.
  • Swelling
    If you feel that your tongue has swollen then there are chances that you might be having some sort of allergy or infection. Deficiency of vitamin B12 may also cause this problem.
  • Hairy
    Your tongue comprises of tiny projections also known as filiform papillae, in conditions like bacterial infections these projections become visible and give your tongue a hairy texture.  Use of antibiotics may also cause this problem.
  Coating
  If the tongue coating is slightly white and thin then it is completely normal. Otherwise:
  • Thick Coating
    If the coating of the tongue is thick and white then you might be facing the problem of oral thrush or candidiasis. It is a fungal infection that occurs on moist and warm parts of the body. Oral thrush can damage the taste buds and also make your mouth smell bad. Use of antibiotics may cause this problem. Oral thrush can be treated with the help of anti-fungal drugs.
  • No Coating
  • If your tongue does not have any coating, it means that your digestive system is not working properly.
    It is advised that you ensure good oral hygiene, brush twice daily and also clean your tongue when you brush your teeth.
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