I had digestive issues for years that doctors couldn't fully explain. IBS-like symptoms, bloating, feeling unsettled after meals. Everything was "within normal limits" but nothing felt normal.
Around the same time, I was struggling with anxiety. It took me a while to realize these might be connected.
The link is your vagus nerve.
The Two-Way Highway
Your vagus nerve is the main communication channel between your gut and your brain. And it goes both ways.
Brain to gut: Your mental state affects your digestion. Stress slows digestion, reduces blood flow to the gut, and can cause all kinds of gastrointestinal symptoms.
Gut to brain: Your gut sends signals to your brain that affect mood, anxiety, and even cognition. About 80% of the fibers in the vagus nerve actually travel from the gut to the brain, not the other direction.
This means your gut isn't just passively receiving instructions. It's actively informing your brain about what's happening down there. And your brain interprets those signals as part of your overall emotional state.
Why I Felt Anxious and Bloated at the Same Time
When I was chronically stressed, my vagus nerve wasn't functioning well. This created problems on both ends:
My digestion slowed because my body was in fight-or-flight mode. Blood and energy were being directed away from digestion toward my muscles and alert systems. Food sat in my gut longer than it should.
At the same time, my gut was sending warning signals back to my brain. Inflammation, bacterial imbalances, and poor digestion created messages that my brain interpreted as "something is wrong."
It was a feedback loop. Stress hurt my gut. My hurting gut increased my stress. Round and round.
The Second Brain
Scientists sometimes call the gut the "second brain" because it has its own nervous system with about 500 million neurons. This enteric nervous system can actually function independently of your brain.
But it doesn't work in isolation. It's in constant conversation with your brain via the vagus nerve. The gut produces neurotransmitters like serotonin (most of which is made in the gut, not the brain) and sends signals about inflammation, nutrients, and the state of your microbiome.
When this communication is working well, your mood is more stable and your digestion runs smoothly. When it's disrupted, you can get symptoms on both ends.
Signs Your Gut-Brain Axis Needs Attention
Some patterns I noticed in myself:
- Digestive issues got worse when I was stressed
- Eating triggered or worsened anxiety
- Brain fog after meals
- Feeling emotionally better or worse depending on what I ate
- GI symptoms without clear dietary cause
- Anxiety that seemed to come from my stomach area
These are clues that the gut-brain communication might be off.
How the Vagus Nerve Helps
Improving vagal tone supports the gut-brain connection in several ways:
Better digestion. The vagus nerve promotes "rest and digest" mode. When it's active, blood flow to the gut increases, digestive enzymes are released, and the whole system works more efficiently.
Reduced inflammation. The vagus nerve helps regulate inflammation throughout the body, including in the gut. Chronic inflammation in the gut can send alarm signals to the brain.
Improved motility. The movement of food through your digestive system is regulated partly by the vagus nerve. Poor vagal tone can mean slow motility and all the symptoms that come with it.
Calmer signaling. When your vagus nerve is functioning well, the signals going from gut to brain are less alarming. Your brain receives messages of safety rather than threat.
What I Did
I approached this from multiple angles:
Vagus nerve exercises. Breathing practices, cold exposure, and other techniques to improve vagal tone. This addressed the nervous system regulation piece.
Gut-friendly eating. Not a specific diet, but paying attention to what helped and hurt my digestion. Reducing processed foods. Adding fermented foods. Eating when calm rather than stressed.
Stress timing around meals. I stopped eating while stressed or while working. Meals became separate from stressful activities. This gave my body a chance to actually be in digestion mode while eating.
Probiotics. Some research suggests certain probiotic strains can affect mood through the gut-brain axis. I added fermented foods regularly and experimented with supplements.
Chewing more. Simple but effective. Chewing well reduces the digestive burden and gives your body time to get into the right mode.
The Research
Studies on the gut-brain-vagus connection are growing:
- Vagus nerve stimulation has been shown to reduce inflammation in the gut and may help with conditions like inflammatory bowel disease
- Certain probiotic strains have been shown to reduce anxiety and improve mood, possibly through vagal pathways
- Stress-induced gut problems often correlate with reduced vagal tone
- Improving vagal tone through breathing and other practices can improve digestive function
This isn't fringe science anymore. Major research institutions are studying these connections seriously.
Practical Tips
Things that helped me and might help you:
Don't eat while stressed. If you're activated, take a few minutes to calm down before eating. Your body will digest the food much better.
Breathe before meals. Even 2-3 minutes of slow breathing before eating shifts you into the right mode.
Chew thoroughly. Give your body time to prepare for digestion.
Avoid eating while distracted. Eating while scrolling or watching stressful content keeps you in the wrong nervous system mode.
Add fermented foods. Yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir. These support a healthy microbiome.
Reduce inflammatory foods. For me this meant less processed food and sugar. Your triggers might be different.
Address chronic stress. If your baseline is constantly stressed, your digestion will suffer no matter what you eat.
Not a Quick Fix
Healing the gut-brain connection takes time. The microbiome shifts slowly. Nervous system patterns change gradually. But the improvements compound.
After several months of working on both my vagal tone and my gut health, I noticed significant improvements in both digestion and mood. They really were connected for me.
If you're dealing with both digestive and mood issues, the vagus nerve might be the missing link. VagusVital has breathing programs that support the parasympathetic state needed for good digestion. We even have a dedicated Gut-Brain Reset program (part of Signature). 5 programs are free to try. Check it out and see if supporting your nervous system helps your gut too.
