logo

by Christina Wilson

Because of its long path through the human body, the vagus nerve has  been described as the “wanderer nerve.”  The vagus nerve is an integral part of the parasympathetic nervous system (the “rest and digest” response, the opposite of our “fight or flight” response). A two-way feedback system, it picks up information about how the organs are functioning and sends data from the brain stem back to the body, helping to control digestion, heart rate, voice, mood, and the immune system.

With its crucial role in gut-brain communication, researchers who study the vagus nerve have emphasized the nerve as a structural link between physical and mental health.

Vagal nerve functioning is associated with better emotion regulation and psychological flexibility, suggesting that various interventions that impact vagal function may help reduce psychological distress and promote well-being in people with chronic conditions.

The vagus nerve helps to regulate inflammation, and inflammation is involved in just about every chronic disease. So stimulating vagus nerve signals to the brain are anti-inflammatory – it signals the brain to turn down the stress response and reduce the production of inflammatory cytokines.

The largest clinical trial to date is now examining to what degree vagus nerve stimulation may help patients with depression who cannot find relief with other treatments.

What Happens When the Vagus Underperforms      

An amped-up perception of stress causes lower vagal tone (or responsiveness), which means the vagus nerve operates at a lower capacity.

Conversely, a high vagal tone is a marker of greater altruistic behavior and a feeling of closeness to others. Increased positive emotions, in turn, produce increases in vagal tone, an effect mediated by increased perceptions of social connections.

We can do things to stimulate our vagus nerve to send a message to our bodies that it’s time to relax and de-stress, which leads to long-term improvements in mood, pain management, well-being, and resilience. A variety of interventions have been shown to improve vagal function, including meditation, relaxation, nutrition, exercise, social connection, and spending time in nature,

Below are some tips on how you can stimulate and strengthen the vagus nerve:

Breathe Deep, slow belly breathing stimulates the vagus nerve's healthy function. In addition, you can use breathing exercises to shift your focus from stress or pain. To practice deep breathing inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth; remember to:

  •   Breathe more slowly (aim for six breaths per minute).
  •   Breathe more deeply from the belly. Think about expanding your abdomen and widening your rib cage as you inhale.
  •   Exhale longer than you inhale. It’s the exhale that triggers the relaxation response.

Laugh A good laugh lifts your mood, boosts your immune system, and stimulates the vagus nerve.

Alternate hot and cold showers It has to be totally cold, and that hot-cold temperature variation is an excellent stimulant for the vagus nerve.

Sing. The vagus nerve also supplies the throat muscles. 

Yoga Sun salutation yoga is potent in stimulating the vagus nerve.

Massage and acupressure are excellent detox activities because they open the lymphatic channels and stimulate the vagus nerve.

Mind your microbiome Eat sufficient fiber and probiotic foods. The gut, the brain, and the rest of your body are connected. Knowing about the vagus nerve helps explain why gut, mental, and whole-body health is so tangled up with each other and another reason why good gut health is so important for things way beyond digestion.

The last and most easily done activity that allows you to stimulate the vagus nerve is to go for long walks, preferably in nature, because nature causes the relaxation response to be triggered rather than the stress response. This is called forest bathing. Do your vagus nerve a favor this long weekend and get outside!





Related Posts

Exercising in Heart Rate Zones
Exercising in Heart Rate Zones
You’ve likely heard of zone training, especially if you work out wearing a fitness watch.  Zones let you know how har...
Read More
Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT)
Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT)
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, or NEAT, is a term used to describe the number of calories you burn through dail...
Read More
Hello, sunshine!
Hello, sunshine!
I was rich, if not in money, in sunny hours and summer days -Henry David Thoreau. While a daily dose of sunshine is h...
Read More
Love Up Your Liver
Love Up Your Liver
The liver is our primary detox organ. It is in charge of making toxins less dangerous through biochemical processing ...
Read More
Stretch, Stretch, Stretch!!
Stretch, Stretch, Stretch!!
Incorporating stretches into your daily routine is beneficial in so many ways. Stretching is instrumental in improvin...
Read More
Healthy Snacks on the Go!
Healthy Snacks on the Go!
          We all have busy lives and are constantly on the go! It’s important for our health, energy level, and mood ...
Read More
5 Benefits to Passing on the Booze
5 Benefits to Passing on the Booze
Uncorking the wine bottle or having a few beers is the way that many people “unwind”. While this seems like a great w...
Read More
Keeping your Immune System Healthy
Keeping your Immune System Healthy
If this last two years have taught us anything it is that COVID affects each of us differently and our immune systems...
Read More
Maintain Balance During the Holidays to Lower Stress
Maintain Balance During the Holidays to Lower Stress
Whether we are ready for the holidays or not, they are here!! That means a time for family gatherings, great food, fr...
Read More
2 Day Juice Cleanse
2 Day Juice Cleanse
I recently did a juice cleanse in which you drink one gallon of juice per day for a two day period. The two gallons o...
Read More


Christina Wilson
Christina Wilson

Author


close-icon