Ask Dr. Nick
On today’s episode, Dr. Nick talks about the vagus nerve and how it is essential to our brain and body. The vagus nerve is the main nerve involved with the parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) nervous system. This is one of two branches of the autonomic nervous system that is essential for the body’s ability to heal, repair, and grow. The other branch is the sympathetic (“fight or flight”) nervous system, and this should only be active in times of heavy stress like a hard workout or maybe public speaking. Many people are chronically in this state due to the stress of daily life, but this is not healthy. The vagus nerve, which is both sensory and motor, is in the best position to increase the “rest and digest” and decrease the overactive sympathetic system. It gathers a lot of information from the organs, including the gut and microbiome, and tells the brain how they are functioning. Then, it can help decrease heart rate, inflammation, leaky gut, and other physiological stressors. Check out the video for more in depth information on the vagus nerve and how you can activate it!
Reference: Bonaz B, Bazin T, Pellissier S. The Vagus Nerve at the Interface of the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis. Front Neurosci. 2018;12:49
