You may have noticed a film on your tongue before and wondered what it was. Our digestive systems work hard to remove toxins from our body, but these toxins have to go somewhere. They are deposited onto the surface of the tongue as a film, which is where tongue scraping comes in. Tongue scraping, or cleaning, is an Ayurvedic ritual that involves removing food debris, bacteria, toxins, fungi and dead cells from the surface of the tongue by, you guessed it, scraping it off. Incorporating a tongue scraper into your morning and evening oral hygiene ritual can be incredibly beneficial to your health. Here are ten reasons to use a tongue scraper.
- Improves the Ability to Taste – By allowing a film of toxins to build up on your tongue, you are blocking your taste buds. This could result in false cravings because your body is unable to communicate with your brain what you’re ingesting. Removing this film allows your taste buds to be exposed, which will lead to a higher level of sensitivity. That way you can really experience the flavors of your food.
- Get To Know Your Body – Did you know that the colour of the film of toxins on your tongue is an important indicator of the internal organ health? Chances are you aren’t looking at your tongue every day, but if you’re scraping it you will. Learn what the different colours mean and you’ll know what your body is trying to tell you.
- Massage Your Inner Organs – In traditional Chinese medicine, practitioners believe that different areas of the tongue correlate to specific organ systems. By scraping the tongue you are stimulating the corresponding organs, similar to acupuncture.
- Feel Fresher – We’re not saying you should ditch your toothbrush or your floss, but scraping your tongue is a whole new way to clean your mouth that will leave you feeling fresher and cleaner.
- Improves Gum Health – Plaque build-up, tooth decay and gum health are all related to the bacteria in our mouth. By removing the bad bacteria they all benefit.
- Reduces Tooth Decay
- Prevents Plaque
- Prevents Bad Breath – Most bad breath comes from bacteria located at the back of the tongue. A tongue scraper is more effective at removing bacteria from this area as many people find it hard to reach using a toothbrush.
- Improved Immune Health – Your body fights hard to remove toxins from your system, so reward it by not letting them get reabsorbed. Your immune system will have time to fight off other bacteria and viruses when it doesn’t have to deal with toxins a second time.
- Improve Cardiovascular Health – Some research suggests that there is a connection between oral health and the cardiovascular system. Some oral bacteria release toxins that could harm blood vessels or cause blood clots. In addition oral inflammation, sometimes caused by bacteria, could lead to increased inflammation throughout the body including the arteries. This inflammation increases the risk of a heart attack and stroke. Use a tongue scraper to get rid of the potentially harmful oral bacteria sitting on your tongue.
What do you think of tongue scraping? Are you going to give it a try? If you’re convinced that tongue scraping is for you stop by The Granary to pick up Dr. Tung’s Stainless Steel Tongue Scraper and start seeing what tongue scraping can do for your health.
Sources Felts, Lauren. “Simplest Health Tip Ever: Why You Should Scrape Your Tongue .” 6 July 2014. thechalkboardmag.com. 16 March 2015. Mandich, Gillian. “5 Reasons Why Everyone Needs A Tongue Scraper.” 19 December 2013. mindbodygreen.com. 16 March 2015.
