The Vagus Nerve
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Your Body's Master Switch for Stress and Hormones
Ever feel like your body's stress response has a mind of its own? Sometimes you fight, sometimes you flight, sometimes you shut down. In many ways, it does—and it's called the vagus nerve. This remarkable neural pathway serves as your body's built-in stress management system, playing a crucial role in everything from gut health, to hormone balance to emotional wellbeing.
Understanding Your Body's Communication Superhighway
Located at the base of your brain, the vagus nerve is your body's longest cranial nerve. This nerve forms an intricate network connecting your brain to major organs throughout your body— it literally wraps around your heart, lungs, stomach, intestines, throat, spleen. It’s also called a “wandering nerve” and you can see why in the image above. Think of your vagus nerve as your internal command center for maintaining balance.
What Does the Vagus Nerve Do?
The vagus nerve acts as your body's natural stress management system. It's the primary component of your parasympathetic nervous system – the "rest and digest" mode that counterbalances your "fight or flight" response. This nerve:
Controls your heart rate and blood pressure
Orchestrates your entire digestive process, from saliva production to nutrient absorption
Manages inflammation throughout your body
Regulates stomach acid production and gut motility
Influences your emotional responses
Affects your immune system function
Modulates hormone production
Your stress response and inflammation levels
Heart rate and digestive function
Immune system activity
Emotional regulation and social connection
Hormonal balance, including thyroid and reproductive hormones
The Vagus-Stress Connection
When you're stressed, your vagus nerve activity decreases, leading to:
Increased heart rate
Shallow breathing
Digestive issues
Higher inflammation
Mood changes
Hormone imbalances
Want to learn more about how stress affects your hormones? Check out my Hidden Hormone Disruptor blog post, where we dive into the stress-hormone connection.
The Gut-Brain Connection
Because the vagus nerve connects your brain and gut, it has now been called "gut-brain axis." This connection explains why you get butterflies in your stomach when nervous or lose your appetite when stressed. Through the vagus nerve:
Your brain communicates directly with your gut microbiome
Stress signals can trigger digestive issues
Gut inflammation can influence mood and anxiety
Digestive function affects nutrient absorption and hormone production
Your gut sends signals back to your brain about hunger, fullness, and emotional state
The Power of Vagal Tone
Just like any other system in your body, your vagus nerve can be strengthened—this is called improving your "vagal tone." Vagal tone increases your nerve's ability to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Higher vagal tone means better stress resilience, faster recovery from stressful situations, less inflammation, and improved hormonal balance. Here are some ways to vagal tone:
Deep Breathing: Practice slow, diaphragmatic breathing. Aim for 6 breaths per minute, with longer exhales than inhales.
Cold Exposure: Brief cold exposure through cold showers or face immersion in cold water stimulates the vagus nerve. (Don’t do this while near or on your bleed!)
Humming and Singing: These activities create vibrations that stimulate vagal activity. Try humming, singing, or gargling for 1-2 minutes daily.
Meditation: Regular practice helps activate your parasympathetic nervous system and improve vagal tone.
Movement Gentle exercise like yoga, tai chi, or walking helps stimulate healthy vagal function
Vagus Nerve Through Diet:
Like always, a balanced, whole foods approach filled with:
Omega-3 fatty acids
Probiotics and fermented foods
Zinc-rich foods
B vitamins
Magnesium-rich foods
Three powerful herbs:
Ashwagandha reduces cortisol and inflammation, supporting healthy vagal tone and supports the thyroid, which is closely related to the vagus nerve, (read more in my Ashwagandha post).
Lemon Balm calms the nervous system and supports GABA production, helping activate the parasympathetic response.
Chamomile soothes the nervous system and supports healthy digestion through vagal stimulation.
Strengthen Your Stress Response
Ready to start toning your vagus nerve with some simple and calming techniques? Visit my Instagram for three more powerful techniques (that I love doing while working) you can start practicing today that I learned from Dr. Pradip Jamnadas, MD in this lecture. These exercises are designed to activate and strengthen your vagal response — and they only take a few minutes!
Remember: just like physical exercise, consistency is key when working with your vagus nerve. Regular practice of these techniques can lead to lasting improvements in your body's stress response system.
Discover healing recipes specifically designed to nurture your nervous system in our Winter Soup Recipe Guide. These recipes combine ingredients rich in magnesium, healthy fats, B-vitamins, and circulatory compounds that help maintain optimal vagal tone.
