9 Surprising Secrets Your Tongue Can Reveal About Your Health

You see: Strawberry Red

It could mean: You have a vitamin deficiency. A glossy, bright red tongue may be a sign your body is lacking iron or B12. “Vitamin B12 and iron are needed to mature papillae on the tongue,” says Naomi Ramer, DDS, director of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology at Mount Sinai Hospital. “If you are deficient in those vitamins, you lose those papillae, which can make your tongue appear very smooth.”

In severe cases, this “balding” can cause pain when eating hot liquids or spicy food. Vegetarians are especially prone to low levels of B12, which is found in certain meats. “If you notice your whole tongue is a strawberry red color, and you are a vegetarian, ask your doctor about taking supplements,” says Dale Amanda Tylor, MD, MPH, general and pediatric otolaryngologist at Washington Township Medical Foundation. Notable vitamin deficiencies can also be associated with an autoimmune disease in the GI tract, in which the stomach doesn’t absorb vitamins.

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