4-7-8

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective

I’m really not sure how I learn about some of the new things I discover. I’m going to assume that it is the Lord working quietly in the background of my mind when certain things rise to the surface. I may find them “accidentally” or because of some study I’m involved in that leads me to one thing, then another, and then to another.

This seems to be the case with this latest discovery that I’d never really heard of before. It has to do with the Vagus Nerve within each person. Everyone has a vagus nerve and it is either toned or poorly toned. Before I get into the gist of things, I’d like to again point out that none of this article should be taken as medical advice. I’m simply pointing out certain things that medical professionals have told us and continue to tell us. If you have concerns or questions, it is best to find a reputable physician and discuss the subject of this article with them.

The vagus nerve is a long cranial nerve that runs from a person’s brain stem into their neck, chest, and abdomen. The nerve is part of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is commonly referred to as the rest-and-digest system because it regulates bodily functions while a person is at rest. It delivers messages to a person’s brain from their digestive system and organs such as their lungs, heart, and liver. The vagus nerve controls several organ functions, including digestion, heart rate, and respiratory rate. It is responsible for vasomotor activity and reflexes such as:
– coughing
– sneezing
– swallowing
– vomiting
The vagus nerve also regulates vocalization, mood, and immunity. It influences sensory functions in a person’s ears, sinuses, and esophagus as well.[1]

All of that is pretty interesting to me and something I’d never really known before I recently came across the subject. One author – Integrative Neurologist Ilene Ruhoy, M.D., Ph.D. – highlights the problems of low vagal tone.

Here are some other problems associated with low vagal tone, or an underperforming vagus nerve:
– Nausea
– Vomiting
– Diarrhea
– Constipation
– Gastroparesis
– Reflux
– Anxiety and depression
– Weight gain
– Abdominal pain
– Joint and muscle pain
– Headaches
– Psychosis
– Memory loss
– Temperature dysregulation
– Dizziness
– Fatigue
– Insomnia[2]

Be honest and ask yourself how many times you may have gone to the doctor for any of the above problems. While there, did the doctor ever discuss the potential problems with your vagus nerve? I just turned 68 and in all my years, I have never once had a physician talk to me about ensuring my vagus nerve was toned. In fact, throughout my lifetime, I can only remember one (possibly two), doctors talk to me about what I ate. All the rest reach for that prescription pad faster than road runner can outrun Wiley Coyote.

Review that list from Dr. Ruhoy. People go to doctors all the time for those maladies and they want relief. Yet, the root causes are rarely dealt with and only symptoms are treated.

I find it fascinating that an poorly toned vagus nerve can cause those types of issues that many in society experience. In fact, Dr. Ruhoy also notes in the beginning of her article that there is a direct cause between an low toned vagus nerve and our gut or biome.

The connection between our gut and our brain cannot be denied, and it’s something I’ve seen firsthand as an integrative neurologist. Case in point: Many neurological disorders—including migraines, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and dysautonomia—have gastrointestinal manifestations such as diarrhea, constipation, and indigestion. But we’ve only recently started to develop a greater understanding of this complex crosstalk between these two organs, as well as its physical and emotional impact.

She further explains the following:

This gut-brain crosstalk, we’ve learned, is governed by something called the vagus nerve, which is considered the main channel of communication between the GI tract and the brain (and which sends signals in both directions).

So if this is true, it makes perfect sense that people who eat highly processed and/or junk food, don’t get enough physical exercise and in general, do not take care of their bodies well. They often come to the point of experiencing many of the above listed symptoms because of the resultant poor tone of the body’s vagus nerve.

Why are certain ingredients banned from foods and beverages in places like Europe and elsewhere, but fully allowed here in the USA. If leaders in other countries have determined that high fructose corn syrup, for instance, is really bad for people and therefore ban it from food and beverage products in foreign countries, isn’t it also bad for people in America? Yet, the FDA has allowed ingredients banned in foreign nations to be easily included in the food and beverages Americans eat and drink.

As I considered this, I thought there has to be a way to ensure that my vagus nerve is as toned as it can be, right? That obviously means eating better and at least walking daily for exercise. Is there anything else I can do about it? According to Dr. Ruhoy and many other medical professionals, the resounding answer is yes.

Dr. Ruhoy defines the vagus nerve for us.

As the longest nerve in your body, the vagus nerve runs from the base of the brain through the neck and then branches out in the chest stretching all the way down to the abdomen, touching the heart and almost all major organs on its way—and its effects on both physical and mental health are extensive.

So if our vagus nerve is not in good tonal condition, we will have problems, but fortunately there are things we can personally do to help ensure that our vagus nerve is operating at its best. In her article, you’ll note she presents 11 ways to stimulate our vagus nerve for optimal health. Other health practitioners have similar lists and usually at the top are breathing exercises. This is something that can be done wherever you are and can have a major effect on your health.

The “4-7-8” breathing technique is very simple and I’ve found that it’s actually a bit addictive because you want to keep doing it once you begin to notice improvements.[3] It’s done simply by breathing in through your nose (with mouth closed) for a count of 4. Then you would hold your breath for a count of 7. Immediately following this, you exhale through your mouth, pushing a bit for a count of 8. The 4-7-8 breathing technique is easy to remember and easy to do.

Some practitioners recommend sitting upright with both feet on the floor, then placing one had on your stomach/abdomen and the other on your chest. Then breathing 4-7-8 and doing so repeatedly. Other practitioners say it is fine to lie down with legs uncrossed and do the breathing exercises from that position.

Other options to increase the tone of the vagal nerve is to sing loudly, gargle with cold water, apply ice to the face, laughing, splashing cold water on your face, getting a massage or taking a cold or warm shower then finishing with cold water. All of these things help reset our vagus nerve to increase the body’s health.

More ways to stimulate the vagus nerve for good health include vagal nerve stimulation devices, which are actually fairly expensive, ranging from $300 up. A less expensive way to go is to use a Tens Unit with clips that attach to your ears, starting at the very lowest setting.[4]

Interestingly enough, some health concerns require the placement of a vagus nerve stimulating device under the skin. “The implantable device, which is similar to a pacemaker, delivers regular electrical pulses to their brain via the vagus nerve. For example, a device may be programmed to stimulate for 30 seconds every 5 minutes.“[5]

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), is something that all people should focus on because an poorly toned vagus nerve means an health issues. Many people in society today suffer from anxiety to depression and many today experience chronic inflammation in their bodies. When my wife and I go out to the grocery store or some big box store, we always see people who shuffle along and are often bent over and overweight. Certainly their problem stems from eating the wrong foods and not getting enough exercise. But all of this impacts the vagus nerve and results in continuing and increasing problems for that person.

Some of the benefits of VNS include the following:

• reducing blood pressure
• lowering heart rate, and
• boosting immunity

VNS can also reduce a person’s bodily inflammation, which can have a direct effect on muscle/joint aches and pains as well as rheumatoid arthritis. Doctors also believe that other benefits of VNS include:

• inflammatory bowel disease
• Crohn’s disease
• ulcerative colitis[6]

For the past few days, I’ve been practicing the 4-7-8 breathing technique since it is so easy to do. I’ve also ordered a Tens Unit and I look forward to trying that. Of course, there are guidelines for using that piece of equipment and the article in footnote #3 highlights exactly how to do it and what to watch for while using a Tens Unit. In fact, this particular site includes many articles on the vagus nerve[7]

Here’s a five-page PDF that clearly and quickly outlines ways to stimulate your vagus nerve.[8] The last one they list is “Socializing and Laughing.” Getting together with loved ones and friends and enjoying their company helps tone our vagus nerve. Remember the lock-downs? We were told to avoid people for our “safety.” Could it have been a way to harm our vagus nerve by keeping us away from our loved ones and friends? The harm created by those lock-downs is real. I believe they knew exactly what they were doing from the start, but I digress.

Prior to trying any of the things mentioned in this article, please talk with a trusted medical expert. I find it fascinating that God created us to be healthy and the human body will do what it is supposed to do if we treat it correctly. If we neglect our bodies and things like the vagus nerve, we will simply begin that downward spiral to ill health. We will then make constant trips to the doctor who will give us one medication after another.

While a toned vagus nerve probably isn’t going to give us perfect health (because after all, we are in dying bodies), it can go a long way to helping us gain the type of good health that we can have in this life. You probably have nothing to lose by focusing on improving its tone.

Certainly Christians need this and even though many breathing techniques are associated with mindfulness, yoga or transcendental meditation, it doesn’t have to involve that at all. Merely breathing deeply and exhaling fully helps the mind and body to improve its own health. As a Christian, I sometimes need all the help I can get to overcome the obstacles that the enemy places in my path to keep me from going to and relying on God as I walk through this life.

You have nothing to lose and likely a good deal to gain from helping your mind and body regain what it may have lost through poor eating habits, lack of exercise resulting in a poor outlook. Focusing on improving the tonal health of your vegas nerve might be beneficial for you. You might find that you’re thinking more clearly, have more consistent energy and your outlook has improved.

[1] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/vagus-nerve-stimulation#how-it-works

[2] https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/how-to-support-vagus-nerve-for-better-gut-and-mental-health

[3] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324417#what-is-it

[4] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324417

[5] https://vagusnerve.com/tens-unit-for-vagus-nerve-stimulation-a-comprehensive-guide/

[6] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/vagus-nerve-stimulation#how-it-works

[7] https://vagusnerve.com/category/blog/

[8] https://www.providence.org/-/media/project/psjh/providence/or/files/behavioral-health/how_to_stimulate_your_vagus_nerve_for_better_mental_health_1.pdf?rev=49360aaccb8d4884b08b12dc170b8030&hash=E1F42447978CD366AB7B1DD7D9059723

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective