Summary
Mother-daughter biohacking hosts Alexa and Annabeth interview Suresh Ladva, an aerospace engineer who invented the Toki toothbrush, which integrates a retractable tongue scraper into the toothbrush handle. Suresh shares how forgetting his tongue scraper on a trip to New York made him feel unwell and inspired him to engineer a combined solution. The conversation covers the health benefits of tongue scraping, with particular emphasis on its connection to blood pressure regulation through nitric oxide production. Suresh shares compelling personal anecdotes including his own dentist being shocked at improved gum health after six years away, and a skeptical customer who became a convert after two weeks and now buys over 100 units as gifts. The hosts discuss how tongue scraping preserves beneficial bacteria while removing harmful ones, unlike antiseptic mouthwash which kills both. The episode touches on the Ayurvedic origins of tongue scraping, its more than 5,000-year history, and practical considerations around the Toki product design, including charcoal-infused bristles and a hygienic stand. Suresh also discusses mouth taping for nose breathing as his other favorite biohack.
Key Points
- Tongue scraping has been practiced for over 5,000 years, originating in Ayurvedic medicine
- Scraping removes bad bacteria while preserving beneficial bacteria, unlike antiseptic mouthwash
- Research links tongue scraping to lower blood pressure through nitric oxide production
- Suresh's dentist found his gums had improved after six years without a dental visit, attributing it to the Toki toothbrush
- Tongue scraping improves taste sensitivity, potentially changing food cravings toward healthier options
- A toothbrush is less effective than a tongue scraper because soft bristles are designed for hard tooth surfaces, not the spongy tongue
- Tongue scraping takes only about five seconds once you are experienced
- Suresh also practices mouth taping for nasal breathing as his other top biohack
Key Moments
Tongue scraping linked to lower blood pressure via nitric oxide
Suresh explains that research from cardiologists shows tongue scraping can help lower blood pressure by supporting beneficial bacteria that produce nitric oxide, unlike antiseptic mouthwash which kills both good and bad bacteria.
"Now I'm finding out that if you scrape your tongue correctly, it helps in lowering your blood pressure. Right. Okay. Just imagine just that one thing. It's incredible. I could not believe the research you sent me."
Dentist shocked by gum improvement after years of tongue scraping
Suresh shares that after not visiting his dentist for six years while using the Toki toothbrush with tongue scraper, his dentist found his gums had measurably improved, something the dentist had never seen in 30 years of practice.
"And he says, I've been doing this for 30 years. I've never seen this. And I still don't know what he's talking about, right? And he says, your gums have improved. No way. Because this has never happened."
Scraping preserves good bacteria unlike mouthwash
The discussion explains how tongue scraping selectively removes bad bacteria while preserving beneficial ones that produce nitric oxide, unlike antiseptic mouthwash which indiscriminately kills all oral bacteria.
"So according to a few of these doctors, okay, I'm talking about cardiologists and all, they say in the back of our tongue there's a bacteria, which is a good bacteria, okay? And if you're using mouthwash, okay, it kills it. Like antiseptic mouthwash. Yes, that kills it. Whereas tongue scraping, okay, it basically moves it up and it helps in lowering the blood pressure."
