The Medical Advisor

Proper nutrition and physical activity are widely accepted tools in preventing chronic disease. However, some doctors have begun to embrace another tool: vagus nerve stimulation. Navaz Habib, a chiropractor certified in functional medicine, stresses the importance of diet and exercise, but the vagus nerve also plays a big role in his wellness strategy. He’s written two books on the subject, the most recent titled “Upgrade Your Vagus Nerve.” The book explores the research, methods, and benefits of stimulating the vagus nerve, such as inflammation control, better immunity, and more. “I’ve seen improvements in my clients from depression to concussion recovery to Parkinson’s symptoms to digestive discomfort and IBS,” Habib said. Understanding the Vagus Nerve For centuries, doctors have understood the vagus nerve to be a major nerve network in the body. The longest of the body’s 12 cranial nerves, the vagus nerve connects the brain to the abdomen and virtually everything in between. “It’s a...

Sodium is an essential nutrient for human health. It’s crucial for maintaining fluid balance, transmitting nerve impulses and contracting muscles. Sodium is naturally present in many foods, including vegetables, dairy products, meat and seafood. It’s also added to processed foods in the form of salt, a compound made up of sodium and chloride ions. Low-salt diets are often recommended as a tool to avoid certain chronic diseases and protect health, but salt restriction, particularly unprocessed, natural salt, often backfires. In fact, if you don’t consume enough salt, it may lead to elevated cortisol levels in your blood. Cortisol, a stress hormone, plays a vital role in your health but can lead to severe health issues like muscle breakdown, inflammation and impaired immune function when chronically elevated, which is why keeping your levels in check is so important — and why salt restriction can cause far more harm than good. As reported in a recent article in the Huffington Post , ...