Everyone Should Be Scraping Their Tongue

Source: @keekooralcare

As you probably know by now, there is not many rituals, foods, or trends I claim to be universally beneficial–every body is different, and wellness is about finding what works for you, not adhering to what other people say you should try. However, the one topic I’m willing to break this ideology is tongue scraping. Because yes, everyone should be tongue scraping. Let me tell you why.

Did you know: Tongue cleaning originated from Ayurveda and has been practiced since ancient times? Ayurveda acknowledges that the tongue reflects the health of major organs in the body–practitioners will perform a tongue diagnosis to identify what’s going on internally, which is why it’s critical to keep it clean and healthy.

• While you’re sleeping, the liver and other organs in the detoxification system work to get rid of harmful waste and toxins that leave the body in many ways, one of them being out of the mouth through saliva, breath, etc., and ends up on our tongues. If you don’t remove these toxins on the tongue, you will re-ingest these toxins when eating or drinking (which is why you should do it morning and night–whenever you brush your teeth–but it’s especially important first thing in the morning)

• Brushing your tongue is not enough–brushing can cause bacteria to get embedded in the tongue, while scraping takes the bacteria layer off

• According to Ayurveda, different parts of the tongue are related to the lungs, the heart, the stomach, the liver, the spleen, the kidneys, and the intestines. A tongue scraper stimulates, massages, and cleanses the associated organs and deep tissues

• Enhances the sense of taste by removing bacteria that’s “clogging” taste buds

• Improves bad breath (a major cause for bad breath does not have to do with the teeth, but with the tongue!)

• Prevents cavities (and protect overall health): Scraping your tongue can remove harmful bacteria that inflames gums as well as prevent cavities. When these best practices for proper oral hygiene are ignored, they can lead to other issues like heart disease, imbalanced gut, cancer, etc.
  
  

Shop MY FAVORITE TONGUE SCRAPERS

---

---

What to Read Next