Vagus: Wonder Nerve Of Our Body
By: Indubala Kachhawa
Tags: Vagus Nerve, Vagal Tone, Better Living, Vagus Nerve Stimulation, Wellbeing

The neural network of our body is made up of many nerves, neurons. There is one prominent nerve transmitting signals throughout the body, controlling almost all the functions and affecting our well-being.

What is it

It is called the Vagus nerve or the 10th Cranial nerve( cranium means part of the skull enclosing the brain ) emerging directly from the brain, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica.

It is responsible for carrying signals between the brain and the rest of the body.

It derives its name from the word “ vagus” meaning wanderer according to Merriam-Webster, which justifies it as the “wandering nerve”. It is the largest and the most profusely branched cranial nerve.

Where is it located

Image on canva by the author

It originates from the brain stem and traverses all the way down the body into the torso and abdomen. On its way down it branches out in multiple directions to the heart, lungs, stomach, and intestines.

What are its functions

It sends sensory information of the inner organs, such as gut, liver, heart, and lungs to the brain. It enables the brain to keep track of the organs

As it divaricates while traveling down the body and reaching all the major organs, it is bestowed with the duty of controlling major functions, such as breathing, heartbeat, blood pressure, digestion.

The nervous system jargon( in brief)

The Central nervous system is made up of the brain and the spinal cord.

The peripheral nervous system is made up of nerves that branch off from the spinal cord and extend to all parts of the body.

The involuntary processes including heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, digestion are controlled by a component of the peripheral nervous system: the autonomic nervous system. It contains three anatomically distinct divisions:

sympathetic nervous system- responsible for the fight-or-flight response.

parasympathetic and the — responsible for rest and digest part.

enteric — the third brain.

The Vagus nerve is the longest nerve and the major controller of the parasympathetic nervous system It holds the reigns of the parasympathetic nervous system and indirectly our brain.

Why a wonder nerve

It is the key to our well being.

Researches around the underlying science of how we respond to situations have shown that our responses and judgments depend upon our body’s physiological reactions which are modulated by the Vagus nerve.

The vagus nerve acts to counterbalance the fight or flight system(Sympathetic Nervous System) and can trigger a relaxation response in our body.

It connects the brain and the gastrointestinal tract and sends information about the state of the inner organs to the brain via afferent fibers

Vagal Tone

The term given to the internal biological process that influence the activity of the vagus nerve Call it the temperament or tone of the vagus nerve.

Increasing the vagal tone activates the parasympathetic nervous system, and having a higher vagal tone means that your body can relax faster.

In 2010, researchers found that positive emotions are directly proportional to a high vagal tone.

The more we increase our vagal tone, the more our physical and mental health will improve, and vice versa.

“The vagal response reduces stress. It reduces our heart rate and blood pressure. It changes the function of certain parts of the brain, stimulates digestion, all those things that happen when we are relaxed.” — Dr. Mladen Golubic, MD, Medical Director of the Cleveland Clinic

How does the Vagus nerve work

Stimulates the body to relax

When in stress, the control of our body passes to the Sympathetic nervous system preparing the body to fight or flight. The vagus nerve countertops this and sends commands to the body to rest and digest.

It makes the breathing rate and the heart go slow from the heightened response aroused by the fight and flight mode.

While SNS stimulates the stress hormones( cortisol and adrenaline), the vagus nerve transmits a neurotransmitter — acetylcholine which makes the body calm and chill. It releases enzymes and proteins like prolactin, vasopressin, and oxytocin, which calm us down.

And as it profusely branched and reaches many organs, calming commands are sent quickly.

The stronger the vagus response , quicker the recovering after stress, injury, or illness.

Influences the Immune System Big Time

The vagus nerve is a major contributor to the neural reflex mechanism — the inflammatory reflex — that controls innate immune responses and inflammation during stress, sickness, and tissue injury

Inflammation is a natural response from the body’s immune system to anything harmful. It removes harmful stimulants and initiates the healing process.

Inflammation is a temporary event and, and when it is over, immune and physiological homeostasis(balance) is restored. Disrupted innate immune regulation can result in chronic inflammation. When chronic inflammation continues, myriad diseases like sepsis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and other inflammatory and autoimmune disorders take place.

So we see, the vagus nerve controls and contributes big time in building and developing our natural immune system.

The Brain -Gut Axis

The brain and gut are connected. The Vagus nerve has a bidirectional connection to the brain and the gut. The gut affects brain health.

Ever wondered the real meaning of the phrase “ gut feeling”. Gut feelings are real and true. Let us see how.

The brain has 100 million neurons and the gut has 500 million neurons which relay the electric impulses to the brain about how are we feeling

Serotonin is a happy hormone and makes us happy. About 95% of the body’s serotonin can be found in the gut. The Vagus nerve transmits this happy hormone to the brain to make us happy. 95% of happiness stimuli come from the gut. A healthy gut sends happy signals.

If everything is fine in the gut, the vagus nerve sends a happy signal to the brain else otherwise. The gut knows it all.

The gut is happy and healthy by the gut bacteria which improve brain function by affecting the vagus nerve.

The good bacteria in the gut release a neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which helps control feelings of fear and anxiety. Gut microbes moderate the gut and the brain functions, mood, and cognitive functions, Gut bacteria affect the gut-brain axis which in turn affect our neural, immune, and humoral systems.

The trillions of microbes that live in the gut also make other chemicals that affect how your brain works.

Gut microbes produce a lot of short-chain fatty acids which help digest the fiber and affect the brain in a number of ways.

Researches

A Journal of Internal Medicine in its 2017 study found that the vagus nerve is closely entwined with the digestive system that stimulation of the nerve can improve irritable bowel syndrome.

In one research, animals were given the probiotic Lactobacillus Rhamnosus , leading to positive changes to the GABA receptors in their brain, a reduction in stress hormones , and less depression and anxiety-like behavior.

, leading to positive changes to the GABA receptors in their brain, a reduction in , and less depression and anxiety-like behavior. Dr. Stephen Collins, a gastroenterology researcher at McMaster University, discovered in his research that unhealthy gut bacteria play a key role in causing cause abnormal behavior (including anxiety and depression), whereas certain strains of good bacteria reduce stress hormones.

In one study, Collins took the gut bacteria of mice that were prone to anxious behavior and transplanted them into calm mice. After the transplant, the calm mice started acting nervously. Similar results were observed in humans.

“It’s increasingly clear that our gut bacteria, or microbiota, can communicate with the human brain.”

— Dr. Kathy Magnusson, Ph.D., Oregan State University

When the vagus nerve isn’t functioning well, it can lead to major physical and mental ailments like heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s. Mood and behavioral disorders are also related to an improper functioning vagus nerve.

Vagus Nerve Stimulation

By Manu5 — http://www.scientificanimations.com/wiki-images/, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67073886

A medical technique to cure epilepsy, depression, and pain by stimulating the Vagus nerve.

A device is implanted surgically under the skin on your chest, and a wire is threaded under your skin connecting the device to the left vagus nerve. to stimulate the vagus nerve with electrical impulses.

When activated, the device sends electrical signals along the left vagus nerve to the brainstem, which then sends signals to certain areas in the brain

VNS for a cure has been approved in United States.

Natural methods to stimulate the vagus nerve

VNS device is not the only cure. We may try the below natural techniques at an individual level for our improving our emotional, mental, and physical.

Belly breathing

Deep breathing activates specific neurons that detect blood pressure. These neurons signal to the vagus nerve that blood pressure is becoming too high, and the vagus nerve, in turn, responds by lowering the heart rate and the blood pressure

In a minute take 6 deep breaths as against 14 breaths normally.

1 . Inhale deeply and let the abdomen and shoulder rise.

2. Exhale deeply and let the abdomen flatten and shoulder relax

3. Exhale longer than Inhale.

4. Incoming air energizes the body and outgoing breath relaxes the body.

Allowing deep, slow breaths help initiate the body’s relaxation response, lowering heart rate, and calming down.

Meditation

A personal favorite to increase parasympathetic activity and the vagal tone. It implores the vagus nerve that there is no need for a fight-or-flight response. Several meditation techniques demonstrate the therapeutic effect on the vagus nerve. Meditation relaxes the vagus nerve and this nerve then sends relaxing stimuli to the brain.

Eating habits

Fiber stimulates vagus impulses to the brain slowing the gut movements. Probiotics maintain a healthy balance of good gut bacteria.

As read above the gut bacteria affect our nervous, hormonal, and immune systems and play a key role in countless bodily functions, including the digestion of food and production of enzymes, vitamins. Simply increasing the number of beneficial bacteria in our gut by probiotic supplementation might provide a healthy impetus and stimulus to our brain.

Some species of probiotics have demonstrated an ability to reduce stress hormones and increase tryptophan, serotonin(the happy hormone), and omega-3 fatty acids in the brain, all of which play a role in good mood and cognition.

So it’s critical to keep your insides flourishing with a healthy colony of good bacteria.

I think these microbes will have a real effect on how we treat these disorders. This is a whole new way to modulate brain function.” — Dr. John F. Cryan, PhD, University College Cork

Researchers have discovered that omega-3 fatty acids increase vagal tone and vagal activity.

Activate vocal cords

By setting the vocal cords into the vagus nerve can be stimulated. It can be done by singing, gargling chanting mantras. That is why listening to music calms us we tend to hum along with the music. Chanting of mantras and saying out positive affirmation loud and clear sends positive vibes in our body.

A happy body reflects and radiates the ripples of happiness all around.

Cold Water

Splashing eyes and face with cold water increases the vagal tone. I many cultures, and medically cold showers are recommended in any season for well-being. Imagine how children are so happy getting wet in the rain (adults too sometimes ).

Exercise

There is no doubt that exercising de-stresses our body. It activates the Vagus nerve which encourages the organs to release relaxing stimulus via neurotransmitters all along the body. These neurotransmitters tell the brain to calm down.

PS: Vagus nerve reaches almost all the organs except the adrenal glands which produce the stress hormones (adrenaline and noradrenaline).

Pregnancy

Vagal tone is passed on from mother to child. Depressed, anxious, and angry pregnant ladies have low vagal tone and they bequeath this to their newborn. The child comes into this world with low dopamine, serotonin levels, and low vagal activity. Therefore, it is always recommended to be happy and eat well when pregnant.

Crux

By stimulating the vagus nerve, we can send messages to our body to relax and de-stress, which in turn can up the moods and increase the happiness quotient.

Anxiety, temperament, depression can be better managed by increasing the vagal tone.

A happy body reflects and radiates the ripples of happiness all around.

I earnestly hope you implement the above and create a tranquil cosmos.