The Vagus Nerve is Having A Moment

I think it's crucial to understand digestion from a broader view than just our stomachs. The term “gut feeling” has biological roots in the gut-brain axis, the superhighway of information that transmits signals between the brain and the gut via the Vagus Nerve.

The Vagus Nerve, the poster child of our current nervous sys

tem awareness, has many roles and is the only cranial nerve with two branches. The nerve is responsible for regulating heart rate and many crucial hormones. It carries sensory information from the skin of the ear, controls the muscles that you use to swallow and speak, and influences your immune system and digestion. In other words, it wanders!

We’ve all heard about how modern-day stress isn’t so good for our bodies. These days, our bodies read every little stressor in our lives as if we are under a bear attack. This is the primary function of the Vagus Nerve: fight or flight versus rest and digest. In other words, when we remain in fight-or-flight mode longer than is healthy for us, precious resources get eaten up that are needed for other functions, like our digestion. When we are less stressed, we are able to produce more oxytocin, our happy hormone, in the digestive tract.

As your body’s info highway, the vagus nerve is also a key player in immune system response. An inflamed, unhappy digestive tract often leads to frequent colds and other illnesses. So we’ve got hormones and immunity to consider along with our Rest and Digest Superhero Protector, the Vagus Nerve.

It is important to learn how this deep connection, this axis, could be an obstacle in healing your digestion and start simply. Stress is not linear but cumulative. Stimulating the vagus nerve helps us de-escalate the stress response in the body, therefore cultivating a safe place to rest and digest. This is a crucial golden key as we must find some ways to cultivate relaxation to tap into this nerve’s potential. Patience, forgiveness, and daily relaxation can bring wonderful results over time.

Good news! Most naturally relaxing activities support the strengthening of our Vagus Nerve health. It’s trainable!

You may be surprised at how simple actions done in small chunks help get you back on track toward better digestion. The simpler the better!

This coming weekend, try to find one item from this list that resonates with you and practice. Or create your own list! What I find relaxing may not be your jam. What’s your jam?

• Listen to calming music (this counts in the car and while cooking, but listen!)

• Hum, sing, chant, gargle (I do this along with my electric toothbrush in the morning!)

• Practice intentional breathwork: exhale longer than you inhale. This works fast.

• Meditate (5 minutes in the car counts as long as you aren’t driving)

• Mild exercise, Qigong, tai chi, walking, restorative yoga, note MILD.

• Laugh, visit friends, visit the ocean or the woods

• Take a cold plunge, a cold washcloth, or ice your neck

• Try an app like Calm, Liven, Insight Timer, or any of the neurofit programs that are out there now.

• And, of course, Acupuncture.

The next time you feel stuck in a loop of stress after a hard day, an annoying drive, or a difficult phone call, try one of these out, especially before eating a meal, and see if you’re able to get back to feeling calm. Notice how quickly your Vagus Nerve supports rest and relaxation, and bring that with you to the dinner table.

Small incremental change adds up!
Angela Coon, Staff Acupuncturist

This is the 3rd in a mini-series on digestive health by Angela. Read Wood and Earth and the Mess of Stress to get caught up.