Did you know that the color and details of your tongue can say a lot about your health?
Tongue Diagnosis is one of the four pillars of examination in Traditional Chinese Medicine, following the diagnostic system of looking, listening, touching, and asking.
Your tongue is linked to many of our vital organs, so if one is off balance, it can show in the color, texture, coating, and shape of our tongue.
If one of our vital organs is off balance, it directly impacts the overall health and wellbeing of our body – from our metabolism and digestion.
Let’s take a look at the different areas and details of the tongue and how each can affect different areas of health within our body.
A reminder that just because you notice one of the conditions below does NOT mean something is wrong with you.
Take notice of the observation and allow yourself to make easy, simple food and lifestyle adjustments to realign your body.
Color
One of the most important observations to make regarding your tongue is its color.
Color plays a crucial role in determining how well your body’s organs are functioning.
A pink or light red tongue is healthy and normal, indicating normal blood circulation and balanced energy throughout the body.
If you notice a deeper red or even purple tone at the tip, it could indicate the presence of heat.
A red-tipped tongue can be the result of “hyper-energy” within the body, usually in the form of anxiety, lack of sleep, anger, repressed emotions, and overworking.
Since the liver is the hub of our anger and eventually moves to our heart channel, it’s very important to get a clear mind, heart, and digestive system to keep the tongue at equilibrium.
Tips:
- Go to sleep by 11 p.m. so your liver can “clean up” the body during its peak time of 11 p.m. to 3 a.m.
- Talk about your emotions in a healthy way, both with yourself and trusted friends & family
- Remove stimulants and provokers such as coffee, reality TV, excess phone use, alcohol, junk foods, etc.
- Consume more bitter or neutral foods such as hawthorn berry tea, linden tea, celery, spinach, cucumbers, green apples, broth, etc.
- Walk among trees/woods to clear the heat from the liver and mind
If you notice a pale tone to your tongue, this could be an indication of a vitamin deficiency, especially Iron or B12.
This could also result in a lack of energy and decreased immune system throughout the body.
Tips:
- Eat healthy foods full of Iron, including kale, brown rice, nuts, seeds, white and red meat, seafood, tofu, etc.
- Take an organic Iron or B12 vitamin once a day to boost your immune response and energy
Coating
The coating on your tongue is one of the most changing aspects and details. A healthy tongue coating should appear thin, white, and pretty moist.
Variations of the coating and moisture level reflect the health of certain organs throughout the body, so it's important to check up on your tongue’s coating quite frequently.
It's common for people to notice a yellowish, thick coating on the back of their tongue, close to the throat.
The back of the tongue is directly connected to the kidney, bladder, large intestine, and small intestine.
A yellow coating could indicate “damp heat” in the intestines and bladder and could have an overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria in the gut.
Bloating and digestive problems are some of the most common symptoms associated with this.
Tips:
- No smoking!
- Eat foods high in fiber to decrease pathogenic bacteria, such as beans, broccoli, berries, avocados, popcorn, bananas, etc.
- Consider adding Oregon Grape Root to your diet, a natural cooling bitter to help your stomach
- Consider taking probiotics to level out the good bacteria in your gut
- Less coffee consumption
- Avoid “damp” foods like milk, alcohol, sugar, etc.
You may also notice a thick white coating, indicating poor circulation in and around the mouth.
Tips:
- Drink more water to increase the hydration and circulation within your body
- Breathe through your nose
- Avoid alcohol and tobacco
- Brush the back of your tongue to get rid of any built up bacteria, fungi, dirt, food, and dead skin cells
Texture
The shape of one’s tongue can also say a lot about their health.
Unlike the color and coating, the texture of the tongue shouldn’t change as frequently.
A balanced and healthy tongue tapers toward the tip and fits inside the mouth without too much excess room or too little room for it to move.
The texture should be relatively smooth with no cracks and can extend easily.
Scalloped Edges (Teeth Marks)
If you notice teeth marks on the sides of your tongue, this is a result of a swollen tongue that doesn’t have enough room inside the mouth.
A swollen or puffy tongue is connected to the spleen, which helps distribute fluids and nutrients throughout the body.
Causes of scalloped edges and a swollen tongue can be caused by a variety of factors, including dehydration, which leads to muscle swelling, anxiety and “jaw-clenching,” nutritional deficiencies and malabsorption of vitamins and minerals within the body, and more.
Tips:
- Stay hydrated with plenty of water
- Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol
- Manage stress & anxiety with moderate, daily exercise
- Eat foods high in vitamins and minerals, such as citrus fruits, peppers, potatoes, berries, green leafy vegetables, and more
- Incorporate herbs such as fennel, orange peel, and mugwort into a “digestive bitter” tincture to take before meals to stimulate gastric juices and support digestion and nutrient absorption
- Cut out sugar, cold foods & drinks
Cracks/Fissures
Cracks on the tongue can look and feel different for different people.
Whether it’s one solid crack down the middle or several throughout, cracks on the tongue tell us there’s a deficiency within the stomach and gut and the body is in a “dry state.”
According to the Academy of Oral Medicine, only 5% of the United States’ population has a fissured tongue.
While it can be hereditary, there are also health factors that can make someone develop cracks and fissures on their tongue over time.
Cracks on the tongue can be caused by several factors, most commonly by a lack of hydration in both water and food.
Water and moisture is best absorbed through the body at room or warmer temperatures, so it’s best to drink warm water throughout the day for optimal hydration.
Tips:
- Drink warm water for optimal hydration
- Nourish the gut with hydrating foods, such as plantains, flaxseeds, oats, brown rice, mushrooms, strawberries, cucumber, lettuce, broth, etc.
- Add marshmallow root into your diet, including a cold fluid to drink once a day to hydrate the gut and intestines
- Avoid smoking and packaged foods, which dries out the body
Overall, your tongue plays a key role in the overall health of your body.
It’s a direct window into the internal wellbeing of your organ systems, especially your digestive system.
The color, texture, coating, and shape of our tongue can show us signs of deficiencies within our organs and early onset of medical conditions.
You may overthink the power of your tongue, but it’s a vital role in keeping our bodies at equilibrium. So, what does your tongue say about you?
