What can the tongue tell us about health?
A. The normal tongue is covered with shag carpeting of filiform papillae. The pink filiform papillae are covered with a light whitish film of friendly bacteria and shedding skin cells. Atrophy of the filiform papillae is a clue to stress driven tissue breakdown. Poor folic acid metabolism diminishes expression of growth causing atrophy of faster-growing filiform papillae. Strawberry spots (fungiform papillae) begin to appear on the whitish dorsal surface of the tongue. A vigorous rug of filiform papillae should hide the isolated submerged reddish fungiform papillae. Folic acid insufficiency is a most common problem. Folic acid is limited in supplements due to archaic governmental edict. Easily injured by heat, folic acid is found primarily in fresh raw green vegetables (that’s before vegetables are shipped to your grocery). Spina bifida is an extreme expression of folic acid deficiency. Smooth and red to magenta tongue can reflect inflamed arteries and poor oxygen exchange, atrophic ga
