One of the most interesting roles of the vagus nerve is that it essentially reads the gut microbiome and initiates a response to modulate inflammation based on whether or not it detects pathogenic versus non-pathogenic organisms. Higher vagal tone is also associated with better mood, less anxiety and more stress resilience. What is high vagal tone associated with? High vagal tone improves the function of many body systems, causing better blood sugar regulation, reduced risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease, lower blood pressure, improved digestion via better production of stomach basic and digestive enzymes, and reduced migraines. Higher vagal tone means that your body can relax faster after stress. The bigger the difference between your inhalation heart-rate and your exhalation heart-rate, the higher your vagal tone. Your heart-rate speeds up a little when you breathe in, and slows down a little when you breathe out. Vagal tone is measured by tracking your heart-rate alongside your breathing rate. Alt text hereThe Vagus Nerve travels all the way from the brain to the digestive system Vagal tone The tone of the vagus nerve is key to activating the parasympathetic nervous system. This nerve is a major player in the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the ‘rest and digest’ part (opposite to the sympathetic nervous system which is ‘fight or flight’). What is the vagus nerve?įirst of all, the vagus nerve is the longest nerve in the body which originates in the brain as cranial nerve ten, travels down from the neck and then passes around the digestive system, liver, spleen, pancreas, heart and lungs. Let me explain the possible implications step by step. If you suffer from digestive complaints, high blood pressure, depression or any inflammatory condition, please read on. The role of the brain on body inflammation can be profound. What this means, is that by activating the vagus nerve which works through the parasympathetic nervous system, we can greatly influence inflammation and the immune system. In the article, the author describes the experience of a woman who suffered from severe, debilitating rheumatoid arthritis and her eventual treatment with a device which minimized inflammation by simply stimulating the vagus nerve.
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