How to Stimulate Your Vagus Nerve for a Healthier Gut-Brain Connection
May 9, 20255 minute read
Most people don’t realize that the gut and brain are always talking to each other. This back-and-forth happens through something called the gut-brain axis, a two-way highway for information.
The vagus nerve is a big part of this system. It helps control things like digestion, mood, energy, and how your body deals with inflammation.
When you learn how to support your vagus nerve, you can improve both your gut health and your mental health. Let’s look at some natural ways to keep this important nerve strong and healthy.
The Vagus Nerve and the Gut-Brain Connection
The vagus nerve is the 10th cranial nerve, and it’s special because it reaches all the way down into your belly. It works like a two-way messenger, helping control things like your heartbeat, breathing, digestion, and even your mood.
What’s really interesting is that about 90% of the signals on this nerve go from your gut to your brain, not the other way around. It tells your brain how full you are, whether there’s inflammation, and how your body is working. That means your gut has a big influence on how your brain feels and works.
Communication through the vagus nerve involves several key players:
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Neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and GABA
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Immune molecules such as cytokines (IL-1, IL-6, IL-10)
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Microbial byproducts like short-chain fatty acids (butyrate, propionate, acetate)
When your gut and brain are working well together, your digestion is smooth, your mood stays more balanced, and your body handles inflammation the right way. But if this connection gets out of sync, it can lead to stomach problems, constant stress, anxiety, and even depression.
What Is Vagal Tone and Why Does It Matter?
Vagal tone means how well your vagus nerve is working. Doctors usually check it by looking at your heart rate variability (HRV), which is the tiny changes in time between each heartbeat.
When your vagal tone is high (high HRV), it means your body handles stress well, your digestion works smoothly, and your gut bacteria stay balanced. Low vagal tone (low HRV) can be a sign of too much stress, poor digestion, and mental health challenges.
The good news? Simple calming habits can help improve vagal tone, raise your HRV, and strengthen the connection between your gut and brain.
How to Stimulate the Vagus Nerve Naturally
Here are some powerful lifestyle strategies to help activate your vagus nerve and support your gut-brain axis:
Humming and Gargling
It might seem too easy, but humming and gargling can actually help wake up your vagus nerve. That’s because this nerve connects to your vocal cords, so using your voice can help strengthen it.
Try humming for a few minutes each day, using long, slow breaths that make your throat gently vibrate. You can also gargle water strongly until your eyes feel like they might tear up a little—that’s a sign the nerve is being activated.
Deep Breathing and Diaphragmatic Exercises
Deep belly breathing taps into your parasympathetic nervous system, slowing your heart rate and boosting vagal tone.
To practice, try the 4-7-8 breathing technique:
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Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds.
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Hold your breath for 7 seconds.
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Exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds.
Practice this for 3 to 5 minutes daily to see benefits in stress resilience and digestion.
Cold Exposure
Cold exposure is an easy way to wake up your vagus nerve and help your body relax. It works by triggering a natural calming reflex called the “diving response.”
You can try this by splashing cold water on your face in the morning, taking quick cold showers, or gently dipping your face into a bowl of cold water for 10 to 15 seconds.
Even short, regular bursts of cold can help your nervous system stay strong and make you more resilient to stress over time.
Meditation and Mindfulness
Mindfulness meditation has been shown to significantly increase HRV, promote emotional regulation, and enhance gut function.
Dedicate 10–15 minutes a day to simple mindfulness exercises:
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Focus on your breath.
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Do a body scan.
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Use a meditation app to guide you if needed.
Dietary Strategies to Strengthen the Gut-Brain Axis
What you eat is just as important as how you breathe and move. Certain foods and dietary patterns directly affect the gut microbiome and vagus nerve function.
Eat Probiotic-Rich Foods
Probiotics are live beneficial bacteria that improve gut health and, by extension, support the vagus nerve.
Key probiotic strains for mental health and gut balance include:
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Lactobacillus plantarum
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Lactobacillus rhamnosus
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Lactobacillus reuteri
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Lactobacillus casei, L. acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum
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Bifidobacterium longum
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Bifidobacterium breve
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Bifidobacterium bifidum
Sources Include foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, and miso. Consider a high-quality supplement if needed.
Prioritize Prebiotic Foods
Prebiotics are the fibers that feed your good gut bacteria, helping them thrive. Top sources include:
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Garlic
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Onions
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Leeks
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Asparagus
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Bananas
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Oats
Adding prebiotics can naturally boost your body’s ability to produce short-chain fatty acids, which are essential messengers for gut-brain health.
Cut Back on Processed Foods and Sugar
Eating a lot of processed foods and sugary snacks can feed bad bacteria in your gut, cause more inflammation in your body, and even affect how well your vagus nerve works.
In one study with 67 people, those who started eating more whole foods and cut back on sugar and processed foods saw big improvements in their depression symptoms, showing how much your diet can impact your mental health.
Try to eat more whole grains, fresh veggies, fruits, beans, and lean meats. And try to cut down on sugary drinks, fast food, and packaged snacks.
Consume Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3s, especially EPA and DHA, support gut health, reduce inflammation, and enhance vagal nerve function. Here are some of the best sources:
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Salmon
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Mackerel
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Sardines
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Flaxseeds
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Walnuts
Aim for 2–3 servings of fatty fish per week or supplement with a high-quality fish oil.
Trusted Support for Better Gut-Brain Health
Taking care of the link between your gut and brain is a smart move for your overall health. Small daily habits—like humming, deep breathing, taking cold showers, or staying mindful, can really help over time.
Eating foods with probiotics, prebiotics, and omega-3s can also boost your digestion, improve your mood, and help your body cope with stress.
If you want some extra support, Curated Wellness has a great selection of top-quality supplements from trusted brands around the world. Their products are sorted by health goals, so it’s easy to find things like probiotics and omega-3s for gut and brain support. When you combine healthy habits with the right supplements, you’re setting yourself up for better long-term health.
Top Recommended Products to Support Gut-Brain Health:
Gut-Brain Symbiotic is a cutting-edge probiotic formulation designed to help support the connection between our body’s gastrointestinal and neurological systems – known as the Brain-Gut Axis. Gut-Brain Symbiotic uses evidence-based strains of probiotics that have been shown to support our body’s microbiome, thereby aiding our neurological system.
Ther-Biotic® Factor 6 is a high potency, hypoallergenic probiotic blend, in a cellulose base, designed for individuals at high risk for occasional diarrhea and compromised gut barrier function. Each capsule provides 100 billion CFU protected by our proprietary InTactic® technology for maximum viability throughout the intestinal tract.
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High potency gastrointestinal support
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Clean, hypoallergenic, and FODMAPS compliant
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Available in 100B CFU capsules
Brain Vitale™ is a unique formulation designed to optimize brain function, and to support healthy cognition, mood, and memory. It contains a comprehensive array of brain-supportive nutrients, including acetyl-l-carnitine, glycerophosphocholine (GPC), phosphatidylserine, Ginkgo biloba (standardized to contain 24% ginkgofl avonglycosides), and citicoline. Also included is a unique coffee fruit concentrate extracted from the whole coffee cherry, including the flesh of the berry that surrounds the coffee bean and contains several distinctive compounds not found in coffee beans themselves.
