The Parasympathetic State

More on the vagus nerve! I literally could write a thesis on it…

Based on a Jodi Cohen NTP webinar “The Parasympathetic State”

The Vagus nerve is an amazing nerve. It is the two way highway from the brain to the stomach and the stomach to the brain - the “gut-brain axis”. In fact 80% of its fibres run from the stomach to the brain - giving you that “gut feeling”. On its journey it also supplies the mouth, heart, lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys, gut, blood vessels, gallbladder and bladder. It has 3 roles: Sympathetic - fight or flight, ParaSympathetic - rest, digest, detoxify, repair and immunity, and Enteric/Gut .The Vagus nerve is the on/off switch between these roles.

Physical, mental and emotional stress, toxins and infections switches the nerve into the sympathetic state. In this survival mode adrenaline is released which causes an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, respiration rate etc.

Our bodies are supposed to toggle between the two but we should be in the PS state for 80% of the time. If we can get our bodies to do this we can help with the following:

• Autoimmune conditions

• Brain fog

• Nerve pain

• Tinnitus

• Anxiety and depression

• Chronic infections - H Pylori, thrush, fungal, sinusitis, UTI

• Heart health

• Constipation

• Fatigue

• Food sensitivities

• IBS

• Cytokine release from the spleen

• Fertility issues

I think a lot of the above symptoms ring true with Long Covid - hence my fascination….