Fun Facts About Your Tongue and Taste Buds

Have you ever thought about the tongue as you think of any other part of the body with the same kind of interest and importance? No right? Well, no one does unless the tongue is cute due to some food or with tooth bite. This little part of the body is the most neglected part although it is the most important part of the body.

One would often forget to clean the tongue while brushing or flossing, but it is not right as the tongue serves a critical purpose to taste things, maintaining its hygiene is important.

Through this article, we would give you some fun and interesting tongue facts about our smallest body part. Read on.

1. Tongue Consists of 8 muscles

The tongue is one of the most flexible muscles of the body making it possible to use it throughout the day without stressing it, although not the strongest. The strongest muscles in the body are the quads and glutes which can create the largest amounts of force.

2. 4 inches is the length of the Tongue

Start from the inner joint till the time, the average person’s tongue‘s length is 4 inches. The funniest fact is the longest tongue ever measured is about twice that size.

3. The Colour of The Tongue is a Storyteller

An indication of a serious health issue can be detected by the colour of the tongue. The tongue turns red from pink when there are allergies and infections. A blistered tongue might be a sign of a negative reaction to certain allergy and blood pressure medications, while fungal infections can lead to white patches all over the tongue. The texture of the tongue also tells a story. When it is too smooth, that can be a sign that the person is deficient in essential minerals like folic acid, iron and vitamin B12.

4. The Bumps on Tongue are the House of the Taste Buds

The small pink and white bumps on a person’s tongue are called papillae and not taste buds as they cannot be seen by the naked eye.

5. The Tongue is Covered with Taste Buds

All parts of a person’s tongue are capable of tasting a wide range of things. There are charts that divide the tongue into different areas that only taste sweet, sour, salty and bitter tastes, but that is only done for the sake of simplicity. In reality, every part of the tongue is capable of detecting different tastes.

6. 1000+ Tongue Taste Buds are on Present

There are nearly 2000 to 10,000 taste buds on the tongue. Some die off every couple of weeks and they are replaced with new ones.

7. Your tongue print is as unique as a fingerprint

The tongue, like fingerprints, is unique to each individual, and some believe it has the potential to be used to verify identity. The tongue is protected in the mouth and would be difficult to forge, but it can be examined by sticking it out. 

8. Your tongue can get fat

If you get healthy, your tongue will get thick as well! The amount of fat of the human tongue is high, and there is a link between tongue fat volume and obesity. According to a study published in the journal Sleep, obstructive sleep apnea (a severe sleep disorder in which a person frequently stops and starts breathing while sleeping) in obese individuals may be worsened by having a larger tongue with higher fat levels.

9. Supertasters!

Supertasters are people who have significantly more taste buds. They have high taste sensitivity and may find some foods too bitter or too sweet. 

10. Taste buds are designed to keep us alive.

Taste buds have helped in our evolution as humans. Initially, our sense of taste helped us evaluate the meals we consumed: bitter and sour tastes may suggest hazardous plants or rotting foods. Bitter tastes are detected by the back of our tongue, allowing us to spit out dangerous or rotten foods before swallowing them. Sweet and salty flavours indicated that foods were rich in nutrition. 

You only have one tongue, so it is important that you take good care of it. Failing to do so can inhibit your ability to speak or taste things, and it can lead to bad breath.

Rouse Hill Smiles Dental Care makes every effort to give you the best dental care available. Visit our website for more information on our various services, or schedule an appointment because we believe you deserve a healthier, more confident smile.