How the Vagus Nerve Heals Your Gut: The Key to Digestive Health and Healing

Summary

This transcript delves into the critical connection between the gut and the vagus nerve, explaining how gut health can affect the brain, heart, and overall inflammation in the body. The speaker emphasizes that chronic inflammation often starts in the gut, which can lead to conditions like leaky gut and neurodegenerative diseases. By optimizing the vagus nerve and addressing gut imbalances through dietary changes, such as increasing omega-3 intake, the speaker believes many health issues can be alleviated. They also share real-life patient cases where improving gut health led to positive outcomes.

Takeaways

• 🧠 The vagus nerve plays a crucial role in connecting the gut and brain, influencing inflammation, heart, and brain health.
• 🌿 A dysfunctional vagus nerve can lead to leaky gut, which allows harmful substances like lipopolysaccharides to enter the bloodstream, causing chronic inflammation.
• ⚠️ Inflammation in the gut, often triggered by bad bacteria or food sensitivities, can lead to neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s due to harmful particles traveling up the vagus nerve to the brain.
• 💔 There is a connection between gut issues and autonomic dysfunction, which can affect heart rate, blood pressure, and lead to conditions like POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome).
• 🌾 Sensitivities to foods like wheat germ agglutinin are linked to autoimmune diseases, coronary artery disease, and other health conditions due to gut inflammation.
• 🔄 The enteric nervous system, the second-largest neural network after the brain, is affected by gut inflammation, leading to digestive issues like constipation or diarrhea.
• 💊 Omega-3 is vital for maintaining a healthy vagus nerve and nervous system, and low levels of Omega-3 (often paired with high Omega-6) can impair vagus nerve function.
• 🐟 Supplementing with high-quality Omega-3, particularly from fish oil, is essential for nerve health, especially in the vagus nerve.
• 🔧 By addressing gut health through interventions like herbal preparations, essential oils, and vagus nerve exercises, it is possible to improve symptoms of conditions like high heart rate, fainting, and gallbladder issues.
• ⚖️ Balancing gut bacteria through diet, testing for sensitivities, and using probiotics or fermented foods can support vagus nerve health and reduce inflammation in the body.

Q & A

What is the vagus nerve and why is it important according to the speaker?

The vagus nerve is a major nerve that extends from the brain to the gut, affecting many bodily functions. The speaker emphasizes its importance in regulating gut health, brain function, heart rate, and inflammation, and links it to conditions like leaky gut and metabolic endotoxemia.

How does the vagus nerve affect the gut and brain connection?

The vagus nerve sends signals between the gut and brain, meaning that gut health directly influences brain function. If harmful bacteria in the gut produce toxins, these can travel up the vagus nerve to the brain, potentially contributing to neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s.

What role does the vagus nerve play in inflammation, according to the speaker?

The speaker asserts that inflammation starts in the gut, and if the vagus nerve is dysfunctional, it can lead to leaky gut, allowing inflammatory molecules like lipopolysaccharides and interleukins to enter the bloodstream, causing widespread chronic inflammation.

What is leaky gut, and how does it contribute to health problems?

Leaky gut occurs when the gut lining becomes permeable, allowing harmful substances like bacteria and toxins to enter the bloodstream, triggering inflammation. This condition is linked to various health issues, including chronic diseases, metabolic syndrome, and autoimmune disorders.

Why does the speaker believe fixing gut health can help resolve autonomic dysfunction?

The speaker explains that autonomic dysfunction, such as high heart rate or blood pressure problems, often stems from gut issues. By improving gut health and addressing problems like bacterial overgrowth, the vagus nerve function can improve, which in turn helps regulate autonomic functions.

What are some symptoms of gut dysfunction that can be linked to the vagus nerve?

Symptoms like constipation, diarrhea, and heart-related issues such as a high heart rate or blood pressure abnormalities can result from gut dysfunction. These occur due to improper signaling between the gut's enteric nervous system and the brain through the vagus nerve.

How does the speaker suggest improving gut health and vagus nerve function?

The speaker recommends dietary changes, such as avoiding foods that cause sensitivities (like wheat germ agglutinin) and taking omega-3 supplements. Additionally, treatments like herbal remedies, essential oils, and vagus nerve exercises can help improve both gut health and vagus nerve function.

What is the relationship between omega-3 fatty acids and the vagus nerve?

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for the health of the vagus nerve. The speaker claims that modern diets are often deficient in omega-3s, which is detrimental to vagus nerve function, and advises taking high-quality omega-3 supplements to support nerve health and reduce inflammation.

What are some examples of conditions that the speaker links to vagus nerve and gut health issues?

The speaker links conditions like small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), Parkinson's disease, dementia, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and autonomic dysfunction (such as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS) to vagus nerve and gut health issues.

What does the speaker recommend for someone with gut-related heart issues?

For gut-related heart issues, the speaker suggests addressing gut health first, using herbal remedies or dietary interventions to reduce bacterial overgrowth, inflammation, or food sensitivities. The speaker emphasizes that improving gut health can improve heart function by enhancing vagus nerve performance.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 The Importance of the Gut and Vagus Nerve

This paragraph discusses how the vagus nerve connects the gut with other systems in the body, affecting both the brain and the heart. The speaker emphasizes the significance of the gut as the root of inflammation and chronic diseases. A dysfunctional vagus nerve can lead to leaky gut syndrome, allowing harmful molecules to enter the bloodstream and cause inflammation. The link between gut health and brain conditions such as Parkinson’s disease is also explored, highlighting the need to protect the gut from harmful bacteria.

05:02

❤️ Gut-Brain Connection and Autonomic Dysfunction

The speaker introduces the case of a patient with autonomic dysfunction caused by small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). They explain that gut health can influence the autonomic nervous system, causing symptoms such as rapid heart rate, fainting, and blood pressure drops. By treating the patient’s gut through herbal preparations, they were able to restore her heart health. The paragraph highlights the importance of gut health in fixing autonomic nervous system dysfunction and improving overall well-being.

10:03

🌱 Omega-3 and Vagus Nerve Health

This paragraph shifts focus to the importance of omega-3 fatty acids for the proper functioning of the vagus nerve. Omega-3, found in fish oil or algae, plays a critical role in nerve health, particularly in maintaining the vagus nerve. The speaker explains that most people have low levels of omega-3 and an excess of omega-6 due to the consumption of vegetable seed oils. Supplementing with high-quality fish oil can help improve vagus nerve function, which is essential for gut and overall health.

Keywords

💡Vagus nerve

The vagus nerve is a cranial nerve that plays a critical role in the parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for slowing heart rate, increasing intestinal contractions, and generally promoting a state of calm and relaxation. In the video, the speaker emphasizes its importance in gut health, as it can affect the brain and heart, and is linked to inflammation and other health issues. The speaker mentions that a dysfunctional vagus nerve can lead to a 'leaky gut,' which is a condition where toxins and bacteria can enter the bloodstream.

💡Leaky gut

Leaky gut refers to a condition where the lining of the small intestine becomes damaged, allowing undigested food particles, bacteria, and waste to pass through the intestinal walls and into the bloodstream. The video discusses how this can lead to chronic inflammation and various health problems. The speaker suggests that a leaky gut is often a result of a dysfunctional vagus nerve or poor gut health.

💡Inflammation

Inflammation is the body's natural response to injury or infection and is characterized by redness, heat, swelling, and often pain. The video script discusses how inflammation is often linked to gut health, with the speaker asserting that all inflammation starts in the gut and can lead to chronic conditions if not addressed.

💡Microbiome

The human microbiome refers to the complex community of microorganisms that live in and on the human body, particularly in the gut. The video script highlights the importance of a healthy gut microbiome for overall health, suggesting that an imbalance in gut bacteria can lead to inflammation and other health issues.

💡Metabolic endotoxemia

Metabolic endotoxemia is a condition characterized by the presence of endotoxins, which are toxic substances produced by certain bacteria, in the bloodstream. The video script mentions that a leaky gut can lead to metabolic endotoxemia, which in turn can cause inflammation throughout the body.

💡Neurotransmitters

Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that transmit signals across a synapse from one neuron to another. The video discusses how bacteria in the gut can produce substances that act as neurotransmitters, which can then travel up the vagus nerve and potentially affect brain function.

💡Enteric nervous system

The enteric nervous system, also known as the 'second brain,' is a network of neurons that control the function of the gastrointestinal system. The video script explains how inflammation in the gut can affect the enteric nervous system, leading to issues such as constipation or diarrhea.

💡Food sensitivities

Food sensitivities refer to adverse physical reactions to certain foods that do not involve an immune response. The video script mentions that food sensitivities, such as a sensitivity to wheat germ agglutinin, can cause inflammation in the gut and affect the function of the vagus nerve.

💡Omega-3

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential nutrients that play a crucial role in brain function, as well as in maintaining heart health. The video script discusses the importance of omega-3 for the health of the vagus nerve and suggests that a deficiency can lead to nerve dysfunction.

💡Fermented foods

Fermented foods are those that have been through a process of fermentation, which can enhance their nutritional value and introduce beneficial bacteria. The video script suggests that fermented foods can help to rebalance the gut microbiome and improve gut health.

💡Vagus nerve exercises

Vagus nerve exercises are practices designed to stimulate the vagus nerve and promote its function. The video script mentions that these exercises can help improve vagus nerve function and, by extension, gut health.

Highlights

The vagus nerve plays a significant role in gut-brain communication and impacts both brain and heart function.

Inflammation often originates in the gut, and chronic inflammation is linked to many modern diseases.

The vagus nerve affects leaky gut and microbiome health, which in turn influences inflammation throughout the body.

Lipopolysaccharides and other inflammatory molecules can leak from the gut into the bloodstream, contributing to systemic inflammation.

Poor vagus nerve function can lead to leaky gut, allowing harmful bacterial products to travel up the vagus nerve and affect the brain.

Neurodegenerative diseases, like Parkinson's, have a potential link to gut health via the vagus nerve.

Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) sensitivity can cause inflammation in the gut and contribute to autoimmune diseases, coronary artery disease, and hypertension.

The enteric nervous system, the second largest neural network after the brain, is deeply connected to gut function and the vagus nerve.

Gut dysbiosis and bacterial overgrowth can disrupt the vagus nerve, causing systemic issues such as autonomic dysfunction.

Omega-3 fatty acids are crucial for optimal vagus nerve function, and most people have insufficient levels, making supplementation important.

High Omega-6 levels from vegetable seed oils create an imbalance with Omega-3, contributing to inflammation and poor vagus nerve health.

Patients with gastrointestinal issues, such as SIBO or food sensitivities, can improve heart-related symptoms by addressing gut health.

Fixing gut health can alleviate symptoms of dysautonomia, including high heart rates and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).

Essential oils, herbal preparations, and fermented foods are beneficial for gut health, reducing the need for antibiotics.

Vagus nerve exercises, along with addressing gut health, can improve conditions like lazy gallbladder function without the need for surgery.

Transcripts

so then it comes down here and then it

comes into all the gut area here okay so

in the gut it breaks down into by the

stomach into two branches one goes to

the front one goes to the bottom and out

and it goes down to your colon so why am

I so interested in what's going on in

the gut down here W you all know I'm

very interested in the gut why am I

interested in the gut because there's

another huge representation that my

Vagas nerve in my gut will affect my

brain and can affect my heart as

well and my vagus nerve over here is

going to affect my leaky

gut and my microbiome as well and I

already told you all that I believe that

all inflammation starts in the gut all

inflammation starts in the gut so

anything to do with the gut including

the Vagas nerve is of interest to

me if I can hack your vus nerve and make

your gut work better you will have less

metabolic

endotoxemia that means your leaky gut

will be less therefore things that

should stay in the sewer will stay in

the sewer and not get into your

bloodstream if you have a leaky

gut as a result of dysfunctional Vegas

nerve or your Vegas nerve is is not

working prop properly for multiple

reasons which I I'll show you in a

minute you're going to get more leaky

gut if you get leaky gut you get

lipopolysaccharides and and Inter lucans

and and other inflammatory molecules

getting out from your gut into your

bloodstream and then going to your whole

body and causing

inflammation chronic

inflammation most diseases today are

chronic inflammation look you guys are

not dying of dentry or or leprosy and

all those bad things right so it's very

important I said this chronic

inflammation where does it come from

where does most inflammation come from

comes from your gut now sometimes we all

to do bad things you know we put things

on our bodies and whatnot on our body

comes from your gut that's the biggest

threat you have you have 100 you have

what 100 trillion bacteria in your

gut and not only that but you got the

wrong bugs in your

gut fine you got 100 trillion fine

but you got the wrong ones there why

because you killed off the good ones

right so when the bad ones are in your

gut what are they doing to your vus

nerve they're stimulating it they're

making it

dysfunctional so when they produce when

those bacteria produce bad substances

neurotransmitters they'll go up the

vagus nerve and they can travel all the

way into the brain now that should scare

you do you want your bacterial products

to travel up all the way to the

brain so there's a strong correlation

between what's going on in the gut and

some of the neurod degenerative diseases

which is a whole new topic we can talk

about such as Parkinson Parkinson's and

and also with other movement

disorders so Parkinson's is huge a lot

of Parkinson's going everyone knows

somebody who's got Parkinson's dementia

inflammatory conditions in the brain how

did they get that well these things can

get included the blood and they can

cross the bloodb brain barrier but they

can also get direct entry into the brain

through your vagus nerve did you know

that that you can actually get direct

entry into your brain through your veg

nerve and there are studies now showing

that particles that were found

originally in the intestine ended up in

the brain via the vagus nerve so I

say that the vagus nerve here is very

important plus you got to remember when

you have the wrong bacteria or you have

inflammation in your gut or let's say

you have food sensitivities like you

you're allergic to wheat wheat germ

glutenin oh it's horrible wheat germal

glutenin is the number one thing that

I'm finding in my patients who have

either got autoimmune diseases or

coronary artery disease or hypertension

metabolic syndrome the one thing I'm

finding is wheat germ a glutenin allergy

so it's really a sensitivity it's not

gluten only people think of celiac

disease no so what happens with reim

glutenin is it causes inflammation here

in the gut so the first thing that's

going to get affected by that or one of

the first things that's going to be

affected by the inflammation in the gut

is the nervous system in your gut it's

called the enteric nervous system right

that's the nervous system of your gut

after the brain the second largest

neural network is in your

gut now if it is supplying your

intestines and your intestines are all

messed up what's happened to that Vagas

n anic nervous system it's messed

up so it's sending wrong signals to the

brain from the

gut and those signals remember it's a

two-way channel so they they're going up

and down up and down and in between

there's your lungs there's your heart

there's your heart rate no wonder you

get all sorts of basom motor and baso

vagal symptoms when you have gut

problems

I'll give you an

example a patient came to see me the

other day and she had what is known as

pots so she had a very high heart rate

all the time and when she stood up her

blood pressure would just drop all the

time why because she got autonomic

dysfunction because look you you when

you stand up your autonomic nervous

system is supposed to fix everything

right it's supposed to fix everything by

ways of constricting you well she had

inappropriate sinus teic guarda all the

time she also had parts so in talking to

her I started concentrating on a gut and

she said excuse me I thought you were a

cardiologist I said I

am but it turns out that she had classic

symptoms of small intestinal bacterial

overgrowth and I treated it I gave her

some of my herbal preparations no

antibiotics I just give her the herbal

preparations and she came back a month

later she's saying oh my God I finished

this and I of course put on some Curtin

and some cumin later on and and some

other special um essential oils and she

got better and she says I'm no longer

fainting my heart rate has come down I

feel like like I did before is so good I

fixed her heart rhythm through her

gut and I'm seeing this all the time I'm

saying this all the time that aymas

blood pressure anomalies especially

orthostasis autonomic dysfunction

autonomic dysfunction because this is

autonomic nervous system starts in the

gut you fix the gut you hack your vagus

fix your gut hack your vagus and your

autonomic nervous system will reset

itself back to way it should be so you

no longer running sympathetic

sympathetic sympathetic all the time so

the gut is really really important your

enteric nervous system so who when the

enteric nervous system goes wrong the

nerves of your gut what symptoms are you

likely to get const to patient because

it's just not working or diarrhea where

it's working too hard it's

dysfunctional you want to fix that you

need to fix your gut the anic nervous

system will get better when the anic

nervous system gets better your balls

come back to normal and your diarhea

goes away or your constipation goes away

you got to fix the anic nervous system

the nervous system in your gut is the

vest nerve coming down and spreading it

and these nerve this vagus nerve it is

is such a

vagabond every literally every

millimeter or so in the gut has one of

its

endings so going to ask yourself what's

it doing

there it's feeling everything

out and it's sending back signals to the

brain and we just underestimate this

whole thing we definitely underestimate

this whole

thing hack your vagus nerve those anic

nervous system will get better

your gut will get better too you having

any type of GI symptoms start hacking

your vagus nerve

today and tell me if your gut symptoms

didn't get better now of course some gut

symptoms are not only due to tic nervous

system they are due to bacterial

overgrowth like that girl I was telling

about right she had she had sio and

others have food sensitivity issues

where they need to stay away from

certain foods so we do do the blood test

to see which foods are you sensitive to

we do that if they're having real bad

bowel problems and I check the stools to

see which bacteria are missing or which

ones are in excess or what can I do to

rebalance them and then we give them

fermented

foods we give them high doses of fish

oil so wait a second what does fish oil

got to do with all this well fish oil

has

omega-3 and guess which what's all these

neurons made up

of

omega3 so wait a second if you if you

not having omega-3 in your body or

enough of it and I know you don't right

now I'll tell you you

don't you've got a Vegas nerve that's

not working optimally I'll just tell you

that right now you see our omega-3

levels today are so

low it's

unreal I have yet to see maybe one out

of 40 Labs that come back with the

omega-3 levels are optimal it's called

Omega check nobody even checks for it

and the wor part it's not just omega3

they have too much Omega 6 so it's not

just omega3 it's the ratio of omega3 and

six so if you have a relatively low

omega3 it's okay if you also have very

low Omega

6 because it's the ratio that really

matters more than anything else but

these days we are all toxic with Omega 6

because we all eating vegetable seed

oils and then we eat nuts that have been

roasted in vegetable seed oils and we go

out and eat too much and all they use is

vegetable seed oils

and you're paying for it too and tipping

them on top of

it too much Omega 6 too little omega-3

omega-3 is needed especially for one big

nerve in the body and that's your Vagas

ner that's your Vagas n you got to have

omega you have to take Omega-3

supplements now if you're total vegan

and you can't take fish oil but where

does Omega-3 come from by the way oh it

comes from fish well actually it doesn't

even come from fish comes from algae and

the algae get eaten by small fish

sardines all those and then they get

eaten by bigger fish bigger fish

eventually gets to you the farm ones

have no omega-3 in it because I don't

see algae down there anyway so you got

to be careful about just hoping that

you're getting all your Omega-3s from

fish good luck unless you're really

eating only wild cat salmon every day

and then you also got to eat a lot of it

but then you know that's not my advice

my advice is look it's easy hack the

system just go and get Omega-3

supplements and make sure that it is it

doesn't contain PCP or dioxin or Mercury

so you get a high quality fish oil if it

smells bad it's no good if it tastes

good it's probably okay mustn't be

rancid and once you get it put in your

refrigerator so it doesn't get rened

ranid means what oxidized because if if

if fatty acids get oxidized they're

really bad for you right causes small

dense LDL causes lipid peroxidation blah

blah blah all the things things we

talked about on other shows but bottom

line is you you you want to you want a

healthy Vegas nerve a healthy Vegas

nerve is full of Omega-3 and you must

hack it

frequently constantly hack your vas

nerve then that pathway will be will be

facilitated as we call it so here we go

so it sto here oh yeah okay I saw

another girl the other day she was

having gallbladder issues so her gold

bladder wasn't working so what innovates

the

gallbladder the Vegas live right so with

her we did the same thing we worked on a

gut and they said they were going to

take a g bladder out and I said yeah

well you got to follow the instructions

but just try this and she did and her

symptoms got better so you she didn't

have a gold

stone so why what was the problem she

had a lazy gold bladder so they give you

this little medication and then they

look at your contractions on your GBL

and G bladder just wasn't Contracting

properly and sure that'll a lot of

problems right so my solution for that

was listen just just wait a

month try this and we worked on her gut

and we worked on a materity and a Vagas

nerve function and she did exercises

veal nerve exercises and she still has a

gold bladder so I just think that it's

very important now I'm not saying that

all gold Bladers must stay in even

Stones no I'm not saying that I'm just

saying that there's lots more that meets

the eye let's just be a little sensitive

about this too so if you enjoyed this

short segment

here's another clip that I think you'll

really enjoy and if you'd like to see

the whole video then click here