“On the occasion of World Health Day, we must learn the importance of our health and work towards making it better. Happy World Health Day.” World Health Day is celebrated Every Year on 7 April.
This is an Initiative by WHO to spread awareness about the importance of Good Health, whether it be Physical or Mental. This Day is celebrated Every Year since 1950. Let us use this opportunity to make a promise to ourselves that we will put our health first in all circumstances. This can be started from Tongue or Jivha Pariksha as it’s a roadmap to your gut health.
Tongue - A Mirror of your gut health
Do you feel a bitter, metallic taste on your tongue?
Or
Have you experienced a white sticky coating on your tongue frequently?
These all observations related to the tongue are reflections of your metabolic health.
In Ayurveda, the appearance of the tongue is very important in the diagnosis of metabolic or gut health. The tongue is considered a reflection of gut health.
Ayurveda mentioned 8-fold diagnostic tools while taking a brief history for assessment of diseases. Jivha Pariksha is amongst them. Thorough observations of the tongue including its size, shape, color, and appearance are very important for knowing gut health.
According to Ayurveda, many diseases originate due to disturbances in gut health or metabolic health. The tongue always reflects these changes on its surface and its unique diagnostic tool.
A healthy tongue that is uniformly pink in color, neither too thick nor thin, and moist, without any coating reflects good gut health. It also shows differentiation according to individual-specific Prakruti. But slight variation in its appearance always shows underlying changes in metabolic health or gut health.
The following entities can be assessed by Tongue examination.
Agni / digestive fire – Coated white tongue always reflects poor gut health with low digestive fire. Poor appetite, constipation, and gases are associated complaints with this white coating. Coated tongue and recurrent mouth ulcers together explain poor digestion and constipation.
Samata / niramata – accumulated aam or dietary toxins produced by poor digestion get reflected on the tongue with a whitish/ yellowish coating. A foul smell is always associated with it. Poor appetite and lethargy are associated symptoms.
Vitiated dosha – discoloration or patches on the tongue are reflections of vitiated doshas. Black spots or patches are due to vitiated Vata, the reddish-brown color associated with mouth ulcers shows pitta vitiation.
Hence tongue examination is very important which gives a proper idea of gut health. By mere observation of the tongue, many times simple dietary changes can give the best results in today’s health complaints. Also, it is a way of assessment of risks or probable underlying health problems.
So, it is the easiest way to assess your gut health daily. So, keep your eyes on your tongue too for better health.
Happy World Health Day
Author:
Dr. Gayatri Kulkarni – Mulye (MD Ayurved),
Vaidya Tejaswini Bhale – Borse (Ayurveda Physician),
Shruti Kulkarni (Clinical Nutritionist)