What The Science Says About Essential Oils to Support the Vagus Nerve (Ep. 397)

(Listen to the Full Episode Here.)

The vagus nerve is a very hot topic in integrative medicine. In fact, we’ve had several amazing experts on the Essential Oils Revolution highlighting how critical it is for overall wellness. This is because this tenth cranial nerve is the master regulator of many essential body functions, including of the heart, gut, brain, and lungs.

In this episode of the Essential Oil Revolution I join you for another solosode to focus more on this subject. I dive into some of my favorite essential oils to support vagal tone based on the literature. The essential oils I review include lavender, bergamot, and ylang ylang oil. I also highlight two honorable mentions. These essential oils were selected based on my clinical experience, their traditional use, and that they also have some evidence of impacting the  nervous system in scientific literature.

Below is an overview of what I cover in my second solosode:

• The three parts of your autonomic nervous system and how they impact body physiology.
• The functions of the vagus nerve and how it can affect healing and restoration.
• An overview of the multiple ways essential oils can calm the mind-body and support vagal tone.
• How essential oils influence our biochemistry and neurology to favorably benefit the vagus nerve.
• A review of the ways that lavender essential oil modulates the nervous system and vagal tone.
• What we can use to measure parasympathetic activity, including heart rate variability, which reflects vagal tone.
• Some of the issues with essential oil research.
• An overview of the research on bergamot oil for calming the parasympathetic nervous system, which is mediated by the vagus nerve.
• The studies on ylang ylang oil for positively influencing the vagal response.
• If you should use an essential oil if you don’t like the smell and how this relates to the nervous system.
• Two honorable mentions of essential oils for regulating the vagus nerve response, petitgrain and fir oils.
• How volatile compounds from tree oils can mediate the negative effects of stress.
• A summary of how essential oils can optimize vagus nerve function and are applicable to the polyvagal theory.

You can listen to the full episode here.

Grab additional resources and my previous posts on the vagus nerve here.

Have you used lavender oil, bergamot oil, ylang ylang, petitgrain, or fir oils to support your emotional health and vagus nerve?

If you like the show, you can help us out by subscribing and providing a rating, comment, and/or feedback on your favorite podcast player. This is a no-cost way to spread the word and ensures we keep providing you with the best guests and essential oils education!