The vagus nerve coined using the Latin term ‘vaga’ means to wander. This wandering nerve is one of the longest cranial nerves that connect the brain to multiple organs and controls the parasympathetic nervous system. One of the most important command centers for bi-directional communication between the brain and body is the vagus nerve. Find all about the role of vagus nerve in your health and how it can be stimulated to function optimally.
What is the Vagus Nerve?
The Vagus nerve wanders around the body impacting major organs of the body aiding voluntary body processes such as breathing, speech, swallowing, heartbeat, blood pressure, hearing, taste, circulation, digestion, and gut health.
A healthy vagus nerve function enables us to access the parts of the brain responsible for creativity, higher cognition and complex decision making.
Multi-Functional Role of The Vagus Nerve
1. Prevents Inflammation
When the vagus nerve gets a signal for incipient inflammation due to the presence of cytokines or tumor necrosis factor (TNF), it alerts the brain to produce anti-inflammatory neurotransmitters that regulate the immune response.
2. It’s Involved with the Heart Function
Known as the heart’s natural pacemaker, the vagus nerve controls the heart rate through electrical impulses by releasing acetylcholine to slow pulse rate if too high. It maintains a steady rhythm of the heart and prevents tachycardia. Doctors use the mechanism of determining your heart rate variability or HRV to know if the vagus nerve is functioning in tandem with the heart.
3. Formulate Memories
A University of Virginia study in rats showed that stimulating their vagus nerves strengthened their memory function. The action generated the neurotransmitter norepinephrine into the amygdala, which consolidated memories. Related studies were done in humans, suggesting promising treatments for conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.
4. Initiates Your Body’s Relaxation Response
When your nervous system revs up the fight or flight response increasing the levels of cortisol and adrenaline in your system, the vagus nerve acts quickly to tell the body to calm down. It stimulates enzymes such as oxytocin, vasopressin, prolactin to help you relax.
5. Connects the Gut and Brain
Your ‘gut feelings’ are communicated to the brain through the vagus nerve. Your gut uses this nerve to communicate with the brain through electrical impulses sending signals. The microbes in your gut are more important than you can imagine enabling the production of critical neurotransmitters that govern your mood, memory and thinking capabilities. And, it is through the vagus nerve that microbes regulate key neurotransmitters like Serotonin, GABA, and Dopamine.
6. Breathe Easy
The vagus nerve listens to the way you breathe and signals the brain and heart to act accordingly. Breathing slowly, for instance, reduces the oxygen demands of the heart muscle (the myocardium), and our heart rate drops. If our brain could not communicate with our diaphragm via the release of acetylcholine from the vagus nerve, then we would stop breathing. If you take a slow deep breath, the vagus nerve is stimulated and it helps to calm you down during stressful situations.
7. Controls Taste and Receive Sensory Information
It plays a minor role in taste by carrying taste sensations from the root of the tongue to the brain. It also receives sensory information from internal organs in the neck, chest, abdomen, esophagus and digestive tract. Besides, it controls muscles in the pharynx and larynx that play a critical role in speaking and swallowing.
Unlocking the Power of Vagus Nerve
Researchers and doctors have long explored the field of electronic stimulation of the vagus nerve called vagus nerve stimulation to treat conditions of epilepsy and depression. It has also shown to significantly reduce the effects of chronic inflammation. Here are some things you can do to stimulate the vagus nerve naturally and improve your health:
1. De-stress and Relaxation Techniques
Stress and anxiety can undermine the function of the vagus nerve. On the contrary, positive thoughts lead to an improvement in vagal function. Studies have shown that meditation helps to promote positive emotions, thereby improving the vagal tone.
2. Cold
Cold exposures such as cold shower, washing your face with cold water will increase vagus nerve activation. Studies show that when your body adjusts to cold, your fight or flight (sympathetic) system declines and your rest and digest (parasympathetic) system increases–and this is mediated by the vagus nerve.
3. Humming
Humming, chanting mantras, hymn singing all increase heart rate variability and is like initiating a vagal pump sending out relaxing waves. Singing in unison, which is often done in churches and synagogues, also increases HRV and vagus function.
4. Massage
You can stimulate your vagus nerve by massaging your feet and your neck along the carotid sinus, located along the carotid arteries on either side of your neck. Pressure massage and massaging infants help them gain weight by stimulating the gut function which is largely controlled by the vagus nerve.
5. Yoga and Pranayama
Slow breathing, with a roughly equal amount of time breathing in and out, increases the sensitivity of baroreceptors and vagal activation. Breathing techniques of Pranayama and Yoga are very beneficial in this regard. Besides, exercise and any type of physical activity also help stimulate the vagus nerve.
6. Balancing the Gut Microbiome
The presence of healthy gut bacteria in the gut creates a positive feedback loop in the connection between the gut and the brain through the vagus nerve, increasing its tone. if your microbiome becomes depleted, it may not be able to manufacture enough of the chemicals that activate your vagus nerve for an ideal parasympathetic nervous system response.
7. Gargling
Another home remedy for an under-stimulated vagus nerve is to gargle with water. Gargling stimulates the muscles of the pallet which are fired by the vagus nerve. Studies have also discovered that this practice has been shown to immediately improve working memory performance. No wonder the age-old practice of saltwater gargling is effective to fight throat infections and promote immunity.
Establish the Mind-Body Connection Through the Vagus Nerve
An optimally functioning vagus nerve helps to improve the brain-body communication thereby forging a strong connection between the mind and body. You can strengthen your vagus nerve function with mind-body activities and a healthy lifestyle