4 ways to tell if you have vagal dysfunction and poor brain/gut health

Dr. Datis Kharrazian is an award winning clinical research scientist, Harvard trained academic professor and world renowned Functional Medicine expert. In this cutting edge interview, he explains what glial cells are, how they can cause chronic neurological inflammation, and how this influences poor mental health (anxiety, depression, insomnia, OCD, etc), neurodegeneration (cognitive decline, memory loss, autism, ADHD, Parkinson’s, etc) and autoimmune diseases (MS, diabetes, IBD, etc). He also offers real hope that although identifying the root causes of glial cell activation and #neuroinflammation can seem complex and overwhelming (and can include a vast array of biochemical, environmental and psychological stressors, mould, toxins, viruses, leaky gut, trauma, injury, stress, etc), wellness can be achieved through relatively simple lifestyle and dietary treatments.

Gut issues start in the brain, meaning the symptoms of an unhealthy gut (constipation, IBS etc) can indicate neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Vagus nerve dysfunction occurs when the vagus nerve – which is the messenger service between the brain and the gut – has been damaged by injury, inflammation or mental stress. The health of our vagus nerve can therefore serve as an early warning sign of poor mental health and neurological diseases (which sometimes don't manifest until 15-20 years later). Not everyone who has injury in the brain, mood disorders or neurological imbalances have issues with the vagus nerve. So how do you know if you have #vagaldysfunction?

4 warning signs of poor vagal function are:

1) Gut motility issues: IBS, poor digestion and chronic constipation
2) Difficulty swallowing: swallowing is controlled by the vagus nerve, so difficulties with swallowing is a clue that the #vagusnerve is not functioning
3) Dry mouth: inability to produce saliva and taking a long time to eat is another indicator of vagal issues
4) A clinic exam where the patient says “ahhhh”: if the person has poor vagal tone, the“punching bag” at the back of the throat will be weak, or they will be unable to repeat the sound

The best ways to activate the vagal pathways include gargling, singing, humming, gagging, etc.