What does your tongue say about you?

How often do you look at your tongue? Maybe every now and again when you brush your teeth? Or when you go to take that cheeky selfie? This organ is often overlooked, but it could give you some great insights into your overall health. So, what does your tongue say about you?

Colour me healthy
The shade of pink your tongue is showing off can be a good indicator as to whether you’re going down with something or lacking certain nutrients.  A pale tongue, which also looks very smooth, could indicate an iron deficiency, and a bright red tongue can indicate a B12 deficiency. Too much coffee and a bad smoking habit can also darken your tongue.

The lumpy lowdown
Red spots often pop up in the mouth in general and on the tongue when you’re feeling run down. They should vanish in around 10 days, if they stick around longer, get them checked out by your GP.

High and dry
Stress can cause a dry mouth, but Chinese medicine also indicates that an excess of dairy foods can cause a dry mouth. A constantly dry mouth can also be an indicator of more serious diseases such as diabetes. If you’re worried about always having a dry mouth do see your GP.

White out
A white coating on your tongue could be just a temporary discolouring as a result of dead cells becoming trapped on the tongue, according to the NHS. But it could also be an indicator of oral thrush, which can develop as a result of taking antibiotics. However oral thrush can also be a sign of a weakened immune system or diabetes according to the NHS.

To find out how getting more green stuff in your life could boost your health, have a read here.

Or, find out how to detox here.