The Vagus nerve is the tenth cranial nerve and is also known as the wondering nerve as it wonders through so many of your internal organs.
These neural fibres stem from your brain through your lungs and heart, your liver, stomach, spleen, kidney’s and both the large and small intestines. So as you can see it is a vitally important part of your communication system in your body.
This important structure is responsible for a number of biological processes in your body, some of which include regulating your breathing and heart rate, altering blood vessel diameter, certain reflex actions such as coughing, sneezing, swallowing and vomiting, and of course regulating digestion and your parasympathetic nervous system, also known as your rest and digest rate.
The Vagus Nerve is a major part of the gut-brain connection. It is a bi-directional current of vital communication between your gut and your brain which stems from not only the enteric nervous system, but the microbiota as well.
Through the Vagus Nerve, sensory information is sent up to the nuclei (clusters of neurons) in the amygdala oblongata (the emotion centre of the brain), and from here motor impulses are sent down to the digestive system.
It is no wonder that there is a link between the gut and the brain influencing our moods, with a direct highway of nerve fibres sending messages influenced by the microbiota in your gut to the emotion centre of the brain.
Vagal Tone
The tone of your vagus nerve, or the strength of this nerve, has a direct link with it’s ability to regulate stress and emotions, as well as it’s ability to regulate metabolism, and immune responses (including inflammation). When there is a lack of tone in the vagus nerve, we see an increase in anxiety, depression, stress, difficulty concentrating, and inflammation.
Some ways in which the tone of your vagus nerve can be compromised includes chronic stress, gut dysbiosis (an imbalance in your microbiota), viral infections, inflammation, obesity, or abdominal surgery.
Increasing vagal tone is associated with an ability to better cope with stress and other mood disorders, as well as a reduction in inflammation and symptomatic relief from many digestive issues.
Having a daily routine which incorporates self-care practices, meditation, stretching, gentle exercise and a balanced diet is a great place to start. By giving yourself just one hour a day, you can increase the tone and strengthen your vagus nerve and restoring balance to your digestion and emotional well-being.
There are also numerous herbs, supplements and specific probiotic strains that have been shown to assist with strengthening vagal tone.
However, these recommendations can vary from person to person as the make up of our individual gut microbiota can be quite vast and unique.
For this reason, I provided online consultations to assess your individual needs and give you the best treatment protocol suited to you.
Book your consultation here.