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Control Your Vagus Nerve to Improve Mood, Alertness & Neuroplasticity

Overview

Shownote

Highlights

Transcript

Chapters

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Control Your Vagus Nerve to Improve Mood, Alertness & Neuroplasticity

Huberman Lab

2025/06/23
Huberman Lab

Huberman Lab

2025/06/23
OverviewShownoteHighlightsTranscriptChaptersPins

Shownote

In this episode I explain how your vagus nerve—an extensive neural pathway linking your brain and body in both directions—powerfully regulates your mood, digestion, alertness and even certain food cravings, and I explain how you can activate certain vagus nerve pathways to improve your heart rate variability (HRV), a key marker of health and longevity. I also explain how to control vagal pathways to enhance your focus and alertness to improve learning and neuroplasticity. And I explain how your vagus nerve controls levels of serotonin in both your gut and brain, impacting your mood and emotional resilience and how to keep that pathway robust. Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Joovv: https://joovv.com/huberman ROKA: https://roka.com/huberman Function: https://functionhealth.com/huberman Timestamps 00:00:00 Vagus Nerve 00:02:43 Sponsors: LMNT & Joovv 00:05:41 Cranial Nerves, Inputs (Afferents) & Outputs (Efferents), Sensory & Motor 00:12:40 Vagus Nerve & Sensory Pathways, Body & Brain 00:18:30 Sensory Information, Chemical & Mechanical Information 00:23:49 Sympathetic & Parasympathetic Nervous Systems, Vagus Nerve, Tool: Calming & Auricular (Ear) Sensation 00:30:19 Sponsors: AG1 & ROKA 00:33:38 Vagus Nerve Motor Outputs 00:36:00 Autoregulation, Improving Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Tools: HR Deceleration 00:49:46 Aging, Declining HRV, Health, Activity, Tool 00:52:31 Tool: Exercise, Increase Alertness for Cognitive & Physical Activity, Motivation 01:04:26 Sponsor: Function 01:06:14 Adult Neuroplasticity & Learning, Acetylcholine, Alpha GPC Nicotine 01:11:48 Tools: High-Intensity Exercise, Increase Alertness, Focus & Learning; Sleep 01:18:14 Serotonin, Gut, Brain & Mood, Depression & SSRIs 01:21:34 Serotonin, Improve Mood & Gut Health, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Tools: Low-Sugar Fermented Foods, Tryptophan 01:28:49 Mood, Depression, Gut Health & Vagal Signaling, Probiotics 01:32:12 Calming Down via Vagus Nerve, Tool: Neck Peri-Arterial Vagus Stretch 01:42:00 Tools: Calming Down, Humming, Extended Exhales 01:46:38 Recap 01:48:46 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow & Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Highlights

The vagus nerve serves as a critical bridge between the brain and body, influencing a wide range of physiological functions from mood and alertness to digestion and heart health. This episode explores the science behind this powerful neural pathway and how understanding its mechanisms can lead to improved mental and physical well-being.
08:58
The vagus nerve's dual functionality includes both sensory and motor neurons
12:40
85% of vagus nerve neurons are sensory, originating from the nodose ganglion.
18:30
The vagus nerve conveys gut serotonin levels to the brain, which affects mood.
26:37
Gentle ear rubbing can activate the vagus nerve and reduce autonomic arousal.
30:19
AG1 now includes new probiotic strains for better health
33:38
85% of the vagus nerve pathways are sensory, while the other 15% are motor.
44:58
Extended exhales can slow heart rate and improve HRV through vagal activation.
52:40
Adrenaline from large muscle movement activates the vagus nerve, boosting alertness and brain plasticity.
1:08:55
Acetylcholine from the nucleus basalis is crucial for neuroplasticity and learning.
1:14:49
Exercise can stimulate brain alertness and enhance neuroplasticity.
1:21:02
90% of the body's serotonin is produced in the gut.
1:24:39
Low-sugar fermented foods support gut and brain health.
1:28:59
A combination of probiotics, magnesium orotate, and coenzyme Q10 improved major depression symptoms in the short term.
1:38:26
The neck stretch activates sensory and motor fibers of the vagus nerve, promoting calmness.
1:45:15
Extending the 'H' in humming activates the vagus nerve for deep relaxation.
1:46:43
The vagus nerve plays a crucial role in mood, neuroplasticity, and learning.

Chapters

Vagus Nerve
00:00
Sponsors: LMNT & Joovv
02:43
Cranial Nerves, Inputs (Afferents) & Outputs (Efferents), Sensory & Motor
05:41
Vagus Nerve & Sensory Pathways, Body & Brain
12:40
Sensory Information, Chemical & Mechanical Information
18:30
Sympathetic & Parasympathetic Nervous Systems, Vagus Nerve, Tool: Calming & Auricular (Ear) Sensation
23:49
Sponsors: AG1 & ROKA
30:19
Vagus Nerve Motor Outputs
33:38
Autoregulation, Improving Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Tools: HR Deceleration
36:00
Aging, Declining HRV, Health, Activity, Tool
49:46
Tool: Exercise, Increase Alertness for Cognitive & Physical Activity, Motivation
52:31
Sponsor: Function
1:04:26
Adult Neuroplasticity & Learning, Acetylcholine, Alpha GPC Nicotine
1:06:14
Tools: High-Intensity Exercise, Increase Alertness, Focus & Learning; Sleep
1:11:48
Serotonin, Gut, Brain & Mood, Depression & SSRIs
1:18:14
Serotonin, Improve Mood & Gut Health, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Tools: Low-Sugar Fermented Foods, Tryptophan
1:21:34
Mood, Depression, Gut Health & Vagal Signaling, Probiotics
1:28:49
Calming Down via Vagus Nerve, Tool: Neck Peri-Arterial Vagus Stretch
1:32:12
Tools: Calming Down, Humming, Extended Exhales
1:42:00
Recap
1:46:38
Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow & Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter
1:48:46

Transcript

Andrew Huberman: Welcome to the Huberman Lab Podcast, where we discuss science and science-based tools for everyday life. I'm Andrew Huberman, and I'm a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. Today, we're discussing the...