The vagus nerve is the most complex and important nerve in the entire human body. This nerve connects the gut to the brain and serves as a crucial player in the sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest) branches of the autonomous nervous system. Feel full and sleepy after a big meal? Heart thumping after hearing a loud noise? That’s the work of the vagus nerve.
As the longest of the twelve cranial nerves, the vagus nerve plays an integral role in your digestive system, heart rate, breathing, and inflammatory stress response. As a key player in these areas of the body, this nerve also has a significant impact on psychological health. In this article, we take a closer look at the vagus nerve, the crucial role it plays in mental health, and seven key ways to nurture and tone this prime nerve to improve overall mood and well-being.
Vagus Nerve: The Mind-Body Super Highway
The vagus nerve links the gut to the brain, also known as the “brain-gut axis,” and is one of the most interconnected systems in the human body. The vagus nerve is also a bridge by which the enteric nervous system (ENS) communicates with the central nervous system (CNS). Together, the ENS and CNS work to control the movement of the GI tract, its secretions, immune function for bacteria, and blood flow (Ruhoy, I., 2019). To better understand the function of this mind-body superhighway, neuroscientist Stephen Porges developed the polyvagal theory. The theory consists of three branches of the autonomous nervous system and their corresponding responses, including:
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Parasympathetic system – “rest and digest”
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Sympathetic system – “fight or flight”
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Social engagement system – the ventral vagal
Porges theory explains the interconnectedness of body reactivity, cognitive and emotional function, and social behavior. In the simplest terms, through the vagus nerve, a person reacts to signals in their environment in ways that calm, alarm, or dysregulate the body. These states then create an emotional experience and play out in behavior (Psychology Today). These signals move and affect the body by:
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Running up the vagus nerve from the gut to the brain affecting mood, perception of hunger and fullness, stress, anxiety, and the activation of the inflammatory stress response.
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Running down the vagus nerve from the brain to the gut affecting digestion and gastrointestinal movement.
The gut functions as the command center of the immune system and the vagus nerve can modify or change the immune response. As a result, this nerve plays a vital role in the relationship between the gut, the brain, and inflammation. This brain–gut axis is now considered a therapeutic target for gastrointestinal and mental health disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Breit, S. et al., 2018). Understanding how vital the vagus nerve is to our overall mental and physical well-being, keeping it healthy is crucial.
How to Stimulate Your Vagus Nerve for Better Mental Health
Here are some easy and effective ways to stimulate and tone your vagus nerve function for overall better physical and mental health:
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Eat foods rich in Tryptophan – Dietary tryptophan is metabolized in the gut and may help control inflammation. Some of these foods include spinach, seeds, nuts, and bananas.
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Yoga & Meditation – Engaging in exercise such as yoga stimulates the vagus nerve and increases gastric motility or the contractions of the smooth gastric muscle necessary for the movement of food through the digestive tract. The vagus nerve also passes by the vocal cords and the inner ear. During meditation, the vibrations of humming while chanting “OM” or other sounds are an easy way to calm your nervous system and reduce stress.
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Valsalva Maneuver – This process helps increase vagal tone. Keep the mouth closed and pinch the nose while trying to breathe out. This increases the pressure inside the chest cavity, increasing vagal tone and relaxation.
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Swim in cold water – An Associate Professor of Psychiatry at McGill University, Rob Whitley states, “cold-water swimming has both biological and psychosocial benefits, it not only stimulates the vagus nerve, but also increases circulation, which distributes nutrients and assists in the removal of toxins.”
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Deep breathing – Deep breathing is a quick way to stimulate the vagus nerve and can be done anywhere, at any time. When someone exhales even a few counts longer than they inhale, the vagus nerve sends a signal to the brain to activate the parasympathetic nervous system.
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Probiotics – Studies show that probiotics can activate the vagus nerve as well as decrease cortisol levels and inflammatory responses (Wang, H. et al., 2016).
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Limit sugar – Too much sugar not only causes chronic inflammation, but it also impairs the brain-gut axis signaling pathways. Constant swelling of the stomach lining allows pathogens to continually send inflammatory signals to the brain, disrupting the ability of the vagus nerve to do its job effectively.
By understanding how vital the vagus nerve is to our overall mental health and physical well-being, we now realize how important it is to keep it toned and strong. Following a nutritious diet, getting plenty of exercise, and keeping the vagus nerve in tip-top shape will allow the mind-body connection to stay in balance and thrive for years to come.