Foods for Vagal Tone

Nutrition for the Vagus Nerve?

It’s true!

Foods can increase vagal tone through the gut-brain axis. For example:

🥦 Fiber sends signals through the vagus nerve to the brain and back to slow gut movements and make us feel full.

🥗 The Mediterranean Diet is associated with higher heart rate variability, which is a measure of vagal tone.

🐟 Probiotics, omega-3 fatty acids, and B vitamins improve heart rate variability too.

The vagus nerve regulates everything from heart health to metabolic health to immune function, and it is strongly influenced by what is going on in the gut! That means that anything you do (or eat) to affect gut health will probably also affect vagal tone.

We love to nerd out on how everything in the body is connected. If you are trying to make sense of what is going on with your own health or how your symptoms relate, we can help.

Visit our website to schedule an appointment today! 📱

Reference

Young HA, Benton D. Heart-rate variability: a biomarker to study the influence of nutrition on physiological and psychological health?. Behav Pharmacol. 2018;29(2 and 3-Spec Issue):140-151. [link]

7 Ways to Boost Vagal Tone

7 Ways to Increase Vagal Tone 💃🕺

The vagus nerve helps regulate everything from heart rate to gut motility to inflammation to mood. When you increase your vagal tone, you send a signal of safety to all of your organs so they can function at their best.

Here are some science backed ways to tone the vagus nerve:

▪️ Deep Breathing

▪️ Meditation

▪️ Yoga

▪️ Massage

▪️ Exercise

▪️ Cold Water Plunge

▪️ Nutrition

All of these work because the vagus nerve communicates in both directions—both to and from the brain. These practices send signals to the brain that increase activity of the vagus nerve.

That means no more “fight or flight” and a lot more “rest and digest.”

Health doesn’t have to be hard.

References

Dai J, Lampert R, Wilson PW, Goldberg J, Ziegler TR, Vaccarino V. Mediterranean dietary pattern is associated with improved cardiac autonomic function among middle-aged men: a twin study. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes. 2010;3(4):366-373. [link]

Gerritsen RJS, Band GPH. Breath of Life: The Respiratory Vagal Stimulation Model of Contemplative Activity. Front Hum Neurosci. 2018;12:397. [link]

Lin LL, Chen YJ, Lin TY, Weng TC. Effects of Resistance Training Intensity on Heart Rate Variability at Rest and in Response to Orthostasis in Middle-Aged and Older Adults. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(17):10579. [link]