What Happens at Vagus

How Gut Microbes Talk to the Vagus Nerve

Decoding the interkingdom crosstalk between microbes and humans.

Image by Tomislav Jakupec from Pixabay

“Although the gut microbiota can communicate by endocrine and immune pathways, perhaps the fastest and most direct way for the microbiota to influence the brain is by hijacking vagus nerve signalling,” writes Christine Fulling and colleagues from APC Microbiome Ireland — the research centre that pioneered the microbiota-gut-brain axis.

The vagus nerve is the main effector of the “rest-and-digest” nervous system — which is why it’s famous for its profound implications in wellness and health, as Markham Heid has written in Elemental:

Science Confirms That the Vagus Nerve Is Key to Well-being

How the Vagus Nerve Works