What does it mean when the tongue coating turns white?

The causes of a white tongue coating may involve several aspects, mainly including the following: 1. Dietary factors: Consuming large amounts of white-colored foods, such as milk, coconut milk, or soy milk, may leave food residues on the tongue coating, resulting in a white appearance. This condition typically resolves on its own. 2. Exposure to cold: In cold weather, insufficient warmth preservation may lead to invasion of cold pathogens into the body, causing a white tongue coating. 3. Excessive dampness: Prolonged exposure to a damp environment or poor dietary habits may lead to excessive internal dampness, which affects the triple energizer (san jiao), resulting in a white tongue coating. 4. Excessive stomach heat: Consuming excessive spicy or irritating foods may cause excessive internal heat in the stomach, impairing normal stomach function and causing upward movement of turbid stomach qi, leading to a white tongue coating, bad breath, and other symptoms. If a white tongue coating persists for a prolonged period or is accompanied by other symptoms, it is recommended to seek timely medical consultation to determine the underlying cause and receive targeted treatment.