The Benefits of Tongue Scraping

There is a daily practice that offers many benefits to the thyroid and our overall health, but it’s not usually thought of!

Tongue Scraping

This daily practice I fell in love with a couple of years ago is tongue scraping. What exactly is that? Well, here’s a great tongue scraper that I personally use. You can start by looking at that. Then, let’s discuss why you would want to stroke your tongue back to front with this thing everyday.

The Benefits of Tongue Scraping

Tongue scraping is something that is recommended in ancient Ayurvedic self-care. Of course, there are benefits to your oral health by scraping off the film that builds up on the tongue. Better breath, stronger sense of taste, and prevention of bacterial infection are all experienced. Furthermore, you can enjoy:

-better mental, physical, and emotional health by removing toxic residue and poor bacteria that builds up on the tongue.

-decreased risk of infections of the mouth, throat, and glands in the throat and neck.

-improved communication between your tongue and your food, which makes sharper taste buds and better reception of the benefits from things like health-giving herbs.

According to the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, a coating on the tongue is a sign of poor health. If there’s a coating on the tongue this means that there’s an imbalance of keratin on the tongue. This is usually because someone isn’t eating enough roughage in their diet from vegetables and fruits. The fiber from plants can knock a lot of that keratin off the tongue, but if you’re not getting enough, then the imbalance occurs. Eating more roughage and scraping your tongue will help offset the risk of bad bacteria growing on the keratin that settles on the tongue.

How to Scrape the Tongue

It takes a couple minutes. Go from back to front several times after brushing your teeth and tongue as usual. Each time you scrape, you might get enough accumulation on there that you’ll want to rinse your tongue scraper. You may scrape anywhere from 5-15 times. Rinse your mouth out with water or mouthwash of your choice, and you’re done!

Does Tongue Scraping Benefit the Thyroid?

Yes, it absolutely does. Any self-care practice that promotes balance in the body, or the elimination of poor bacteria will help your thyroid perform well. Many holistic-minded thyroid experts believe that viruses like Epstein Barr and poor bacteria accumulating in the body (and settling on the thyroid gland) contribute to thyroid imbalance. Toxins feed bad bacteria and viruses, so keep detox practices like tongue scraping in your toolbox!

Happy scraping!