A computer programme could diagnose diseases by analysing the colour of somebody's tongue.
Diseases can be diagnosed by studying the colour of a person's tongue
The algorithm has been developed by researchers from Iraq and Australia and has achieved a 98 per cent in predicting different diseases through tongue analysis.
The imaging system is capable of diagnosing conditions including diabetes, stroke and COVID-19 after engineering experts at Iraq's Middle Technical University and the University of South Australia used 5,260 images to train the machine in terms of detection.
Professor Ali Al-Naji, senior author of the research, said: "The colour, shape and thickness of the tongue can reveal a litany of health conditions.
"Typically, people with diabetes have a yellow tongue; cancer patients a purple tongue with a thick greasy coating; and acute stroke patients present with an unusually shaped red tongue.
"A white tongue can indicate anaemia; people with severe cases of COVID-19 are likely to have a deep red tongue; and an indigo or violet coloured tongue indicates vascular and gastrointestinal issues or asthma."