How to stimulate the vagus nerve to increase mental and physical health

The vagus nerve is the longest and most complex nerve in the body. It connects the brain to many important organs, including the intestines, stomach, heart, and lungs.

The vagus nerve is also a key part of the parasympathetic nervous system and influences breathing, digestive function and heart rate, as well as influencing mental health. Therefore, your Optimization can improve our health, strengthening our defenses against stress.

Next, you’ll find information about the functions of this nerve, how it affects your health, the symptoms of its dysfunction and how stimulate it so you can enjoy a healthy life.

The role of the vagus nerve in the relaxation response

The vagus nerve has many functions, but some of the most important are due to its role as a major component of the autonomic nervous system. This system controls involuntary body functions, such as heart rate, digestion, and breathing.

The autonomic nervous system is divided into two main branches, the parasympathetic and the sympathetic nervous system.. The sympathetic nervous system prepares the body to deal with perceived danger by initiating the fight-or-flight stress response.

On the contrary, the parasympathetic nervous system prepares the body for rest. Relaxation should be your default state, but for people who struggle with stress or anxiety this may not be the case.

The vagus nerve is a main conduit of the parasympathetic nervous system. In addition to initiating the relaxation response, it also influences the reduction of inflammation, the storage of memories and the maintenance of balance (homeostasis). Additionally, the vagus nerve triggers the production of many important neurotransmitters, especially GABA, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine.

Signs and symptoms of vagus nerve dysfunction

The health and function of the vagus nerve is closely related to vagal tone. When the vagus nerve is functioning as it should, we are said to have high vagal tone. This means the body can relax faster after stress, as well as being linked to good physical health and mental well-being.

In an article published in Psychological science, several researchers point out that there are a positive feedback loop between high vagal tone, positive emotions and good physical health. In other words, the more vagal tone increases, the more physical and mental health will improve, and vice versa.

On the other hand, when the vagus nerve is not working as well as it should, you have low vagal tone. People who are easily stressed and have trouble calming down after experiencing stress may fall into this category.

Since one of the many functions of the vagus nerve is to act as a switch for inflammation, low vagal tone often leads to chronic inflammation, an important factor in many diseases of the body and mind, including ADHD and cancer. Additionally, decreased vagal tone has been linked to a long list of physical and health conditions. mental ranging from mild to severe.

The influence of vagal tone on health is widespread and affects many important systems. Hence, some symptoms and disorders related to low vagal tone are the following:

constipationdepressiondiabetesanxiety disordersautoimmune disordersbipolar disorderdifficulty to swallowtendency to choke when eating digestive disorders, including gastroparesishoarsenessmigrainesobesityrheumatoid arthritissudden rises in blood pressureheart disease (increased heart rate)addictionsAlzheimer’s diseasechronic fatigue syndromeepilepsy

Keys to stimulate the vagus nerve

There are many ways to stimulate the vagus nerve to keep vagal tone high and healthy. Researchers more accurately use the term vagus nerve modulation, which means the ability to regulate or balance. So, What stimulates the vagus nerve is actually what tones and strengthens it, Just like exercise tones and strengthens your muscles.

A healthier vagus nerve is more receptive, which helps you recover from stress more quickly.

Stimulate the vagus nerve using the mind-body connection

Some exercises and mind-body therapies that help improve the tone of the vagus nerve are the following:

Sing. Singing alone or with others stimulates the vagus nerve, according to research. When singing with other people, your heart rate becomes synchronized. The vagus nerve is believed to be responsible for this.To meditate. An article points out that meditating helps to tone the vagus nerve. Furthermore, it has discovered that OM chanting increases vagal tone while reducing activity in the amygdala, the brain’s fear center.Do exercise. Exercise is essential for a long and healthy life. It serves to prevent diseases and activate the vagus nerve.Yoga. Moderate exercise of any kind can stimulate the vagus nerve, but yoga stands out above all of them. Numerous studies support that yoga increases parasympathetic activity of the nervous system which, in turn, improves vagal tone. For example, research found that yoga not only improves vagal tone, but increases the release of GABA, the relaxation neurotransmitter.Acupuncture. Strengthens vagal tone. Traditional acupuncture points, particularly auricular acupuncture, stimulate the vagus nerve, according to research.Reflexology. Foot reflexology has been found to increase vagal tone.Short cold showers. It has been found that cold stimulation could increase cardiac-vagal activation. The showers At low temperatures they help to attenuate the fight-flight effect generated by stress. In this case, the ideal is to make it a daily habit to take advantage of its effects.Deep breathing. An effective exercise to stimulate the vagus nerve is to breathe correctly. Slow, deep diaphragmatic breathing is a means of relaxation that activates the vagus nerve.

Other ways to stimulate the vagus nerve

Enjoying healthy relationships is another key to maintaining vagus nerve health.. In fact, people with better vagal tone are known to be more altruistic and have closer, more harmonious relationships.

This is so in part because Vagal stimulation causes the release of oxytocin, a hormone called the “connection molecule,” because it promotes bonding. Oxytocin has been linked to human traits such as loyalty, empathy, trust, and courage.

Therefore, one way to stimulate the vagus nerve is to meet friends to laugh with. Laughter strengthens relationships while increasing heart rate variability, a reliable indicator of healthy vagus nerve function.

Another way to stimulate the vagus nerve: through supplements. Some supplements may improve vagus nerve health and function, such as ginger root, probiotics (specifically Lactobacillus rhamnosus), omega-3 essential fatty acids (especially DHA) and zinc.

Don’t forget that your health improves when you stimulate the vagus nerve

Taking care of mental and physical health depends on many variables. It is not reduced only to the maintenance of the muscles or the neuronal functions of the brain. It also requires the care of other parts of the body that are essential to be healthy, but that we sometimes overlook, such as the vagus nerve.

Therefore, we want to invite you to include in your daily routine some of the keys that we have given you to stimulate the vagus nerve, so that you have a healthy body and mind that allow you to continue enjoying life. With which exercise will you begin to stimulate your vagus nerve? Do not wait more!

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