Many of our present-day health problems and day-to-day troubles are rooted in chronic fatigue, stress, and anxiety. Unfortunately, stress depletes our nervous system, impacting other parts of the body, like our digestion, breathing, and heart rate, which are all moderated by our vagus nerve.
The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in the body, starting at the brain and running down to the large intestine. And many of us struggle with vagus nerve problems without even realizing it!
Fortunately, there are many ways you can support your vagus nerve.
What Does the Vagus Nerve Do?
The vagus nerve is a key part of your nervous system. It supports your body’s involuntary sensory and motor functions—basically things we do without thinking, such as digesting food, producing saliva, and keeping our heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure functioning automatically.
Common signs of vagus nerve issues:
- Abdominal pain
- Acid reflux
- Anxiety or depression that feels physical (racing thoughts, tight chest)
- Bloating or indigestion
- Chronic fatigue
- Cold hands or feet
- Dizziness or fainting
- Irregular heart rate or heart palpitations
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea (especially when stressed out)
- Poor stress resilience
- Shallow breathing or a sense that you can’t breathe deeply
- Tension in the throat, jaw, or vocal cords
- “Wired but tired” feeling
People support their vagus nerve in many ways, including deep, slow breathing and humming or singing, which stimulates the vagus nerve through the vocal cords. Cold exposure, such as cold water on your face, is another popular option. However, these techniques don’t always work and are often inconvenient, since most of us don’t want to start singing aloud at work.
Thankfully, herbal remedies are available for vagus nerve support. We’ve developed a new vagus nerve support formula which contains soothing and supportive herbs, such as passion flower, lemon balm, and ginger. Here’s some of the best research we’ve found about some of these incredible herbs and how they may help your vagus nerve and symptoms you may encounter during flare-ups.
Herbs for Vagus Nerve Support
Passion Flower
If you struggle with vagus nerve dysfunction, you likely deal with neck stiffness, especially when you wake up in the morning. Passion flower can help alleviate stiffness and is known for its benefits in nerve pain, mild depression, and relaxation.
Studies have found that the majority of participants taking passion flower experienced reduced anxiety. Other studies have noted that passion flower may help with sleep quality.
Lemon Balm
It’s common for those with vagus nerve issues to struggle with their mood, whether this shows up as anxiety, depression, or difficulty regulating emotions. One of our favorite remedies for promoting calm in your life (and soothing your gut!) is Lemon Balm Leaf.
The Cleveland Clinic shares that lemon balm has many possible health benefits, including aiding digestion, calming anxiety, and increasing serotonin levels, which can help fight depression.
A 2021 research review even shows that lemon balm has cardioprotective effects and has special compounds that may decrease oxidative stress.
Skullcap
Skullcap is known to support vagal tone (how well your vagus nerve is functioning).
As the name suggests, skullcap may help with issues related to the head and skull, such as migraines, nervous system issues, anxiety, and insomnia. For those struggling with symptoms of vagus nerve problems, Skullcap encourages reduced “wired but tired” feelings, overstimulation, and anxiety.
A 2018 study found that skullcap positively impacted mood and decreased anxiety by stimulating GABA in the central nervous system (something many prescription anti-anxiety drugs aim to do).
Ginger
Many of us with vagus nerve issues struggle with digestive upset, ranging from IBS-like symptoms, nausea when stressed, bloating, and indigestion. Ginger is a classic herbal remedy for digestive problems and may even promote a healthier inflammatory response.
Ginger is well-researched, with Johns Hopkins Medicine praising its many benefits, including encouraging better digestion, nausea relief, decreased bloating and gas, and lessening inflammation in the body.
Oat Heads
We choose oat heads for our vagus nerve support formula as it can strengthen the nerves, providing HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) and vagus support. It’s also been traditionally used to strengthen the nervous system and help individuals bounce back from anxiety, nervous exhaustion, and impaired sleep—all things a weakened or overactive vagus nerve can cause.
Vervain
Vervain may relieve stress that settles in the neck and jaw area, protect nerve cells, and reduce anxiety. A 2016 study found that vervain had a sedative effect similar to that of the prescription drug diazepam (also known as Valium). The study concluded that vervain had a scientific background for medical applications for multiple neurological conditions, including anxiety, insomnia, and epilepsy.
Another study found that vervain may protect brain cells, which work closely with the vagus nerve.
Wood Betony
Wood Betony was a prized medicinal plant in Europe, believed to have magical healing properties, with many using it to support a healthy nervous system, digestion, and a calmer mind. If you struggle with overthinking, we recommend looking into wood betony as an herb.
Today, wood betony is commonly used in teas, tinctures, and herbal formulas to support a relaxed mind and body (many also like it for stress-related digestive conditions).
Interested in trying our new vagus nerve support formula? Check out our Viva Las Vagus Tea and Vagus Vacation Essential Oil Blend for a comprehensive formula designed to support a healthier vagus nerve.
We hope this article about the vagus nerve’s function and how you can support this large and vital nerve inspires you. We often overlook this nerve, even though it causes a variety of widespread symptoms. If you’ve been struggling with symptoms that don’t seem to make a lot of sense, this is an area you may consider looking into!
Well Wishes,
Herbalist Natalie
 |
Natalie Hajdu-Voakes is a consulting herbalist and the owner of The Herb Stop, with over 29 years of hands-on experience in crafting herbal remedies and promoting natural wellness. |