White Tongue

[Kate]

Not bad, but still... is this because of my previous diet?
(does anyone know the actually specific reason for this??)

I have pretty good teeth, but my tongue is iffy... ( sometimes it's great, and sometimes not so great)
Is "oil pulling" good/worth it, or does changing your diet eliminate the problem?

 

[Nicole W.]

Not bad, but still... is this because of my previous diet?
(does anyone know the actually specific reason for this??)

I have pretty good teeth, but my tongue is iffy... ( sometimes it's great, and sometimes not so great)
Is "oil pulling" good/worth it, or does changing your diet eliminate the problem?

Hello,

I too have a white tongue and it is scalloped also, meaning that it is swollen and pressing against my teeth to cause indentation marks on the sides. I haven't felt well ( fatigue, adrenal and thyroid issues) for a couple of years now. Because I see a naturopath regularly, I mentioned the state of my tongue and immediately she directed me to an acupuncturist. TCM practitioners always consider the state of the tongue when diagnosing a health problem. I was diagnosed with " cold dampness" which is a more complex condition than it sounds. It encompasses stagnation in the body, adrenal and thyroid underperformance, inappropriate diet and environment, overthinking and rumination... the list goes on.

Diet is the primary consideration in TCM and I was completely surprised to learn that the Peaty foods that were the mainstays of my diet were greatly contributing to my "cold dampness" condition. The foods we eat, like milk, cheese, raw fruit, and fruit juices ...are considered "cooling" foods. If you're already in a state of cold and damp, they will not be your friend.
I am now trying to reverse this condition by following dietary guidelines that will warm me and my digestive tract.
They are basically:

Eliminate dairy & wheat
No raw foods (uncooked fruit, veggies, salad)
Eat things cooked and warm to generate heat in the body and less taxing on the digestive system).

I also get acupuncture once a week and am taking some Chinese herbs to drain the dampness.

Interestingly, I live near the water and my area can get extremely cold and damp Nov. - April/ May. Apparently, the climate you live in can be a major contributor to this problem.

I'm a big fan of Ray Peat and his ideas but the one shortcoming is that, like a lot of things, it may not be a one size fit all. A person's own unique constitution comes into play and in that case, Peaty foods and diet may not be a great fit.

 

[Kate]

Hello,

I too have a white tongue and it is scalloped also, meaning that it is swollen and pressing against my teeth to cause indentation marks on the sides. I haven't felt well ( fatigue, adrenal and thyroid issues) for a couple of years now. Because I see a naturopath regularly, I mentioned the state of my tongue and immediately she directed me to an acupuncturist. TCM practitioners always consider the state of the tongue when diagnosing a health problem. I was diagnosed with " cold dampness" which is a more complex condition than it sounds. It encompasses stagnation in the body, adrenal and thyroid underperformance, inappropriate diet and environment, overthinking and rumination... the list goes on.

Diet is the primary consideration in TCM and I was completely surprised to learn that the Peaty foods that were the mainstays of my diet were greatly contributing to my "cold dampness" condition. The foods we eat, like milk, cheese, raw fruit, and fruit juices ...are considered "cooling" foods. If you're already in a state of cold and damp, they will not be your friend.
I am now trying to reverse this condition by following dietary guidelines that will warm me and my digestive tract.
They are basically:

Eliminate dairy & wheat
No raw foods (uncooked fruit, veggies, salad)
Eat things cooked and warm to generate heat in the body and less taxing on the digestive system).

I also get acupuncture once a week and am taking some Chinese herbs to drain the dampness.

Interestingly, I live near the water and my area can get extremely cold and damp Nov. - April/ May. Apparently, the climate you live in can be a major contributor to this problem.

I'm a big fan of Ray Peat and his ideas but the one shortcoming is that, like a lot of things, it may not be a one size fit all. A person's own unique constitution comes into play and in that case, Peaty foods and diet may not be a great fit.

Thank you for the tips! I used to have a really noticeably scalloped tongue (now it is just a few less noticeable lines at the back)
Interesting, climate here can get a bit humid, and I also live near water, // I wish I could live in Colorado or something :..)
I think I definitely have thyroid issues, (and symptoms have noticeably reduced since I changed my diet though)

Would heating up the milk help XD I don't think eliminating milk would be an option for me (but I will play around with my diet and see what works)
I just introduced milk into my diet recently (for about a month) and my tongue was whiter before than it is know.

Exactly, I guess I will just have to find out what is best for me ^.^
Thank you again!

 

[Nicole W.]

Thank you for the tips! I used to have a really noticeably scalloped tongue (now it is just a few less noticeable lines at the back)
Interesting, climate here can get a bit humid, and I also live near water, // I wish I could live in Colorado or something :..)
I think I definitely have thyroid issues, (and symptoms have noticeably reduced since I changed my diet though)

Would heating up the milk help XD I don't think eliminating milk would be an option for me (but I will play around with my diet and see what works)
I just introduced milk into my diet recently (for about a month) and my tongue was whiter before than it is know.

Exactly, I guess I will just have to find out what is best for me ^.^
Thank you again!

Unfortunately, cooked milk is still considered a cooling food in TCM. Each food is viewed as having a life force, yin or yang energy, and its role in our bodies is predetermined. Just heating something up does not overcome it's essential nature.
Eliminating milk has been very difficult for me because I come from a French background and dairy is prevalent in our daily life. French people don't typically drink milk plain though and I've often wondered why. Milk is for babies, not adults, is the general consensus. Cheese and yogurt is something we eat almost daily, if not daily... like most Europeans.
I've tried to focus on the foods and herbs that are warming: there are many lists available online. Just search TCM foods for cold dampness. Corn and rice are supposed to be beneficial, along with beef and all the warm spices, like cinnamon, cloves, cumin, cardamom and nutmeg.
Humidity is supposed to greatly contribute to this condition. Dry desert heat is optimal for people suffering from dampness. I personally feel best in warm dry environments. Anyway, change is hard, but for me, I thought it would be worth a try.

 

[Kate]

Unfortunately, cooked milk is still considered a cooling food in TCM. Each food is viewed as having a life force, yin or yang energy, and its role in our bodies is predetermined. Just heating something up does not overcome it's essential nature.
Eliminating milk has been very difficult for me because I come from a French background and dairy is prevalent in our daily life. French people don't typically drink milk plain though and I've often wondered why. Milk is for babies, not adults, is the general consensus. Cheese and yogurt is something we eat almost daily, if not daily... like most Europeans.
I've tried to focus on the foods and herbs that are warming: there are many lists available online. Just search TCM foods for cold dampness. Corn and rice are supposed to be beneficial, along with beef and all the warm spices, like cinnamon, cloves, cumin, cardamom and nutmeg.
Humidity is supposed to greatly contribute to this condition. Dry desert heat is optimal for people suffering from dampness. I personally feel best in warm dry environments. Anyway, change is hard, but for me, I thought it would be worth a try.

Thank you! I will look into your suggestions
(I didn't drink milk for my whole life (other than soy when i was little ;. so it won't be a big change to see if it will help)

 

[sele]

Not bad, but still... is this because of my previous diet?
(does anyone know the actually specific reason for this??)

I have pretty good teeth, but my tongue is iffy... ( sometimes it's great, and sometimes not so great)
Is "oil pulling" good/worth it, or does changing your diet eliminate the problem?

Gut issues can cause white tongue.
Eating the raw carrot salad, cooked bamboo shoots or activated charcoal could help. Flowers of sulfur or antibiotics could help in extreme cases. Also switching the brand of milk or OJ you drink, I would try to find milk without added vitamins but if that's your only choice I would just test different brands.
A little refined coconut oil with each meal also helps.

 

[damngoodcoffee]

The white tongue is something that won't go away no matter what I do. Not drinking milk reduces it a bit but not completely. I've tried carrots, garlic, activated charcoal, low fat, high fat, no dairy, lots of dairy, starch, no starch..

I always had a totally pink tongue before I started to try to "eat healthy". After veganism and low carb etc all the bull**** I have had this problem.

 

[Wagner83]

Niacinamide cleared it for me (at least temporarily). Fungus?

 

[Pointless]

Lactoferrin is working for me, I believe. Maybe caffeine helps? I make sure to swish water around in my mouth after eating or drinking, and this helps. Not totally eliminated.

 

[Wagner83]

Keeping the niacinamide and a dose of a famous b-vitamins product
in the mouth may have helped

 

[Nicole W.]

The white tongue is something that won't go away no matter what I do. Not drinking milk reduces it a bit but not completely. I've tried carrots, garlic, activated charcoal, low fat, high fat, no dairy, lots of dairy, starch, no starch..

I always had a totally pink tongue before I started to try to "eat healthy". After veganism and low carb etc all the bull**** I have had this problem.

Hi there,

After trying my acupuncturists dietary recommendations for four months (unsuccessfully), I started to explore the possibility that maybe the white tongue issue and my other symptoms were viral in nature. I took some standard virus blood tests that came back positive for antibiodies, which ultimately does not give you much to go on since most people have been exposed and have the antibodies anyway. The quantitative tests that show elevated levels are harder to access at least with my HMO. They are definitely recommended if you can get them. Unfortunately, my allopathic doctor did not feel they were warranted.
Despite this, my Naturopathic doctor put me on an antiviral protocol for 3 months. I only did 30 days because the white tongue cleared up almost immediately.

Here’s what I did, if you’re interested:

Lauricidin ( monolaurin) 3 x per day
Vital Nutrients Viracon 3 x per day
Host Defense Mushrooms MyCommunity 2 capsules in the morning.
No other dietary changes.

This protocol also resolved my other issues so in the end I guess I had a virus. I felt a lot better with a week.

 

[damngoodcoffee]

Keeping the niacinamide and a dose of a famous b-vitamins product
in the mouth may have helped

Maybe I'll try daily brewer's yeast

 

[damngoodcoffee]

Lactoferrin is working for me, I believe. Maybe caffeine helps? I make sure to swish water around in my mouth after eating or drinking, and this helps. Not totally eliminated.

I drink a lot of coffee already :-p

 

[damngoodcoffee]

Hi there,

After trying my acupuncturists dietary recommendations for four months (unsuccessfully), I started to explore the possibility that maybe the white tongue issue and my other symptoms were viral in nature. I took some standard virus blood tests that came back positive for antibiodies, which ultimately does not give you much to go on since most people have been exposed and have the antibodies anyway. The quantitative tests that show elevated levels are harder to access at least with my HMO. They are definitely recommended if you can get them. Unfortunately, my allopathic doctor did not feel they were warranted.
Despite this, my Naturopathic doctor put me on an antiviral protocol for 3 months. I only did 30 days because the white tongue cleared up almost immediately.

Here’s what I did, if you’re interested:

Lauricidin ( monolaurin) 3 x per day
Vital Nutrients Viracon 3 x per day
Host Defense Mushrooms MyCommunity 2 capsules in the morning.
No other dietary changes.

This protocol also resolved my other issues so in the end I guess I had a virus. I felt a lot better with a week.

Thanks

 

[Wagner83]

Maybe I'll try daily brewer's yeast

Ain't Fungus one of the issues of brewer 's Yeast?

 

[damngoodcoffee]

Ain't Fungus one of the issues of brewer 's Yeast?

Isn't the fungus deactivated? And isn't it different from harmful fungus anyway?

 

[Dave Clark]

Isn't the fungus deactivated? And isn't it different from harmful fungus anyway?

Quite a few health authorities assert that food yeast, mushrooms, etc. do not feed candida, fungus, etc., and that sugar and carbohydrates are the preferred food for those organisms. I think the idea of brewers yeast and mushrooms being bad for fungus came from them being yeast and fungal type organisms, that they would also be contraindicated in a person who has problems with the bad fungus and yeast.

 

[Wagner83]

How Can Potatoes (Boiled) KILL My LIBIDO?

Like Kellogg said in Amazoniac's "when a turk's..", having 3 bowel movements a day seem to work, what he didn't say was that a meal of ripe pineapple (which appear to be particularly good fruit for taste and digestion in my case), low-fat dairy, honey and coffee clears the tongue. It's a great meal to get a bowel movement promptly me thinks. All fruits are not created equal.

 

[Wagner83]

Candida Overgrowth. What To Do Now?

 

[Light]

I too have a white tongue and it is scalloped also

Hi there,

After trying my acupuncturists dietary recommendations for four months (unsuccessfully), I started to explore the possibility that maybe the white tongue issue and my other symptoms were viral in nature. I took some standard virus blood tests that came back positive for antibiodies, which ultimately does not give you much to go on since most people have been exposed and have the antibodies anyway. The quantitative tests that show elevated levels are harder to access at least with my HMO. They are definitely recommended if you can get them. Unfortunately, my allopathic doctor did not feel they were warranted.
Despite this, my Naturopathic doctor put me on an antiviral protocol for 3 months. I only did 30 days because the white tongue cleared up almost immediately.

Here’s what I did, if you’re interested:

Lauricidin ( monolaurin) 3 x per day
Vital Nutrients Viracon 3 x per day
Host Defense Mushrooms MyCommunity 2 capsules in the morning.
No other dietary changes.

This protocol also resolved my other issues so in the end I guess I had a virus. I felt a lot better with a week.

I have had the same thing for a long time - scalloped and white tongue.
When you say that this protocol resolved your issues, do you mean the scalloping too?