How to clean your tongue to improve your health

Tongue Before any cleaning. It appears to be coated with a thick mat of yeast, fungi, bacteria and dead tissue. Take note of the yellowish colour of the tonsils and other tissues of the back of the mouth and compare this with the same tissue in the "After" photo below.

Tongue after several weeks of cleaning. There is still some room for improvement but what a difference! This person is visibly in better health and feels like it. Note the healthy colour of the tonsils and surrounding tissues. Compare this with the original photo.

When looking carefully at a tongue, if there is a mat of white, grey or brown matter on it this is most likely made up of yeast, fungi and bacteria as well as dead tissue. Think of this as the "Mother Lode" for infecting the entire body. These bugs will continually be shed, infecting other parts of the body including the gums, sinuses, gut and even the lungs, bladder and skin. Every time the person swallows, coughs, sneezes and even breathes, bugs from the tongue will be ingested deep into the body. Even during sleep.

Chronic infections are very common and they gradually wear people down.

Bad breath may be the first indication that the tongue may be infested.

If anybody has chronic health issues, especially where the gut is affected then it is always a good idea to consider that a overgrowth of bugs in the mouth may be contributing to the person's lack of recovery. The mouth, looking at the health of the gums and the tongue are one of the first areas to investigate. Surprisingly, this is often overlooked.

Unless your tongue is pristine clean, please do this using either a manual or electric toothbrush

1. Put a little non-fluoridated toothpaste on the dry toothbrush.

2. Brush the tongue back and forth, right up to the gag-point (you'll get better at this, just like a sword-swallower does with regular practice!)..

3. Then brush the teeth and gums. (I quite like the bamboo toothbrush which can be purchased from "Bin Inn" shops around the country).

4. Rinse and gargle with water, preferably salted.

5. Spit it all out - do not swallow the contaminated water.

6. Do this twice a day every day and for life.

7. You may gargle once a week with a fluoride-free mouth wash but this is not really necessary or desirable for the long term.

8. Floss your teeth at least once a day. Watch the video for guidance about flossing.

Does a tongue-scraper do a better job?

Copper Tongue Scraper from India

Having looked at many tongues, I have come to the conclusion that tongue scraping is not as effective as brushing the tongue. Think of it this way: if you have moss on your path you can scrape it off with a shovel but you do not really get into the nooks and crannies and the moss will quickly grow back. If you use a water-blaster instead, the job will be far more thorough.

By using a toothbrush with a little toothpaste as the detergent you can get into all of the tiny crevices of the tongue and whisk out all of those bothersome bugs and dead tissue.

It can take several weeks to get a lasting improvement but it sure is worth doing!

The health benefits of a squeaky-clean tongue and mouth can be surprising.

Health Benefits reported from regular tongue cleaning include:

1. Less snoring

2. Clear sinuses

3. Healthier gums

4. No more bad breath

5. Fewer and shorter sore throats

6. Better digestion

7. Fewer and shorter urinary tract infections

8. Healthier skin

9. More energy

Please bear in mind that the people who are reporting one or more of these health benefits have been doing a lot of other interventions as well, so it is not just tongue cleaning to be credited. But the fact is that if a person has an infected tongue any gut issues, for example, are going to be compromised if the tongue's health is not attended to at the same time.

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My personal Story

Around about 10 years ago I began to have trouble with food being trapped trapped in what appeared to be pocketing to the left of my mouth behind the tongue. I was also beginning to snore at night and I had constant bad breath no matter what I did to prevent it. The food trap was particularly worrisome because I could feel the area was constantly inflamed and chronic inflammation is the precursor to cancer, in this case, tongue or throat cancer.

I was also being warned by the dentist that my gums were inflamed and receding. No matter how carefully I brushed and flossed my teeth the gum health failed to improve.

Gary's tongue today. Clean and healthy.

I went an Ear Nose and Throat Specialist to investigate the swallowing problem. He confirmed there was something abnormal and advised I needed to be booked in for closer exploration under general anaesthetic. I declined and went away to do more on my own figuring out what might be the root causes of these problems. After all, I had gone most of my life with none of these problems, so I wondered what had changed?

Over the years I have looked at a lot of tongues but never had I closely looked at my own! When I finally did look closely I was rather shocked. My tongue was far from healthy in appearance.

So I began immediately to brush my tongue twice a day along with the usual flossing and brushing of the teeth. I quit all tea and coffee and am now caffeine-free and have been so for four months, so I am sparing my mouth of irritating hot drinks, sugar and toxic chemicals (caffeine). I now lump all of my food into two or three big meals per day with little or no snacking in between meals.

The end result has been quite remarkable:

• No more snoring other than when lying on my back.

• No more bad breath.

• Healthiest gums in many years!

• Swallowing has improved and I'm having fewer episodes of food being trapped. This is improving with the passing of each month.

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A Personal Request

I'd appreciate any before and after photos of your tongue that I can anonymously publish at the bottom of this article.

Thank you!

Gary