Our tongue is the strongest muscle in the body and plays a vital role in our ability to swallow, talk, and taste food.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, it can also help us determine and alleviate certain health issues. A healthy tongue has a pink color and it’s covered with small nodules known as papillae that have a rough texture.
On the other hand, when the tongue is white, it means that there are bacteria, debris, and dead cells accumulated.
Although it’s usually a temporary and harmless problem, it may signal something more serious.
Some of the major reasons for a white tongue are dehydration, inadequate oral hygiene, an infection, a certain disease, fever, dry mouth, reaction to some meds, smoking, alcohol intake, spicy foods, candida, etc.
Below, check out the best ten ways to naturally relieve white tongue.
10 Natural Remedies for White Tongue
Probiotics
A gut imbalance can contribute to oral thrush and cause the tongue to have a white coating.
Probiotic supplements and probiotic-rich foods may help restore the gut balance and reduce candida symptoms.
Baking soda
Baking soda is great for the tongue. It can be used to exfoliate it, remove residues, and balance the pH in the mouth by neutralizing acids.
According to research, it also has a powerful effect against the plaque and saliva Streptococcus mutans bacteria. Combine a tsp of baking soda with a bit of fresh lemon juice to make a paste and then put it onto your toothbrush and brush the tongue.
Coconut oil pulling
This is an awesome way to expel bad bacteria from the oral cavity. It’s recommended in Ayurveda. Oil pulling with coconut oil helps pull out the waste from the mouth and acts as an antiseptic.
Oil pulling also reduces bad breath and cleans out the tongue from accumulated debris. To do it, swish a tbsp of coconut oil in the mouth for 10 to 20 minutes before spitting out the oil in the trash can.
Rinse the mouth with warm water and then brush your teeth as usual.
Aloe vera
Aloe vera possesses anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antibacterial characteristics that can be of aid for healing wounds, burns, skin irritations, and infections. It’s also abundant in enzymes that help expel dead cells and encourage skin tissue regeneration.
Aloe vera is great for helping you get rid of the tongue’s white coating. Swish a tbsp of aloe vera juice two to three times per day.
Garlic
Garlic has antifungal properties and can be useful for removing the white coating from the tongue. It’s believed that it is garlic’s active compound known as allicin that has an anti-fungal effect and may be as helpful as fluconazole: a drug used for the treatment of fungal infections and yeast infections on the mouth.
If your white tongue is caused by oral thrush or bacterial overgrowth, take a clove of garlic every day or opt for a garlic supplement.
Pau D’arco
Pau d’arco tea is known for its anti-inflammatory and antifungal characteristics and it can be of aid for reducing candida overgrowth. If your white tongue is caused by a fungus, drink pau d’arco tea.
Add two cups of pau d’arco bark into four cups of boiling water and steep for 20 minutes.
Remove the cover and leave it to cool down for at least one hour. Then, strain it into a cup and drink it in smaller portions throughout the day.
Colloidal silver
Known for its antifungal and antibacterial power, colloidal silver may be a quick solution to irritating and infectious viruses and bacteria such as herpes, shingles, and pink eye. It’s also potent in lowering inflammation and improving the cells’ recovery.
If you want to use it for a white tongue, swish a tbsp of colloidal silver with equal amounts of water in the mouth for five minutes. Repeat it twice per day.
Sea salt
Sea salt gargling may help expel bacteria and debris that leads to the white coating on the tongue. Thanks to its coarse structure, it will also exfoliate the tongue.
Sea salt is much less processed than table one and therefore rich in beneficial trace minerals and other elements that optimize the balance in the cells of the body.
Combine sea salt and water and use it as a mouthwash.
Oregano oil
Did you know that oregano essential oil is abundant in antifungal, antiparasitic, antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties?
It acts as a natural antibiotic and may also reduce white coating caused by fungal overgrowth. It may also be a good way to get rid of oral thrush.
Tongue scraping
This Ayurveda practice is praised for its ability to eliminate bacteria, dead skin cells, and waste from the tongue. It will also reduce the white coat and improve the breath.
To do it, use a tongue scraper. It was found more beneficial than a regular toothbrush for the production of volatile sulfur compounds associated with bad breath and other problems.
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