Coffee lovers warned about strange tongue symptom that means you 'shouldn't drink it'

Coffee lovers, be warned - your favourite drink could end up doing more harm than good if your tongue looks a certain way, according to one doctor on social media.

Many of us can't even imagine functioning in the early morning without a steaming hot cup of coffee or two to get us going.

However, it's common knowledge that too much caffeine can be a real danger, and the imbalance it can potentially cause in your body can be worsened by the popular drink.

Taking to TikTok, Dr Anis Khalaf asked his 457k followers: "Do you know if you should be drinking coffee?

"If you want to know the answer, you're gonna wanna stick out your tongue. You can go to a mirror and do a small test to find out. If you have a lot of cracks in your tongue with a thick yellow coating, you probably shouldn't be drinking coffee."

Dr Khalaf says this is often due to a potential 'imbalance in the body', which can be exacerbated by coffee - referring to something known as the 'yin deficiency' in Chinese medicine, the Mirror reports.

He added: "This is a yin deficiency with heat and dampness which basically means a fluid or cold deficiency with heat taking over."

Dr Lawrence Cunningham, a GP at The UK Care Guide, highlighted that a 'yin deficiency' is an imbalance within your body resulting in unpleasant symptoms such as restlessness and heart sensations.

As coffee is an 'inherently warming' stimulant, the beverage can enhance these symptoms - however, he claimed this isn't always the cause of a yellowing tongue. "In my experience, a thick yellow coating on the tongue generally indicates an imbalance in the body's digestive system rather than a specific aversion to coffee," he said.

"This coating can be attributed to a range of factors such as poor oral hygiene, dehydration, or the presence of bacteria and yeast. While coffee itself isn’t usually the direct cause, it can exacerbate the conditions that lead to such a coating.

"Coffee is acidic and can alter the pH balance within the mouth, which may contribute to the proliferation of bacteria and yeast, potentially leading to a yellow coating."

As well as a yellow tongue, stomach symptoms like acid reflux can also be a sign that coffee is having a negative impact on your health.

Dr Lawrence added: "Also, frequent headaches or migraines can sometimes be linked to excessive coffee intake, especially if one is consuming high quantities throughout the day."

Anybody who is concerned about their tongue colour or texture should speak to their GP.

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