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This week on Mojo Monday, Carly explores three powerful lenses we can use to make sense of our emotional suffering — Blame, Brain and Environment — and explains why understanding ourselves through multiple perspectives, rather than a single narrow narrative, can restore agency, clarity and direction.

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In this episode, I chat with Dr Kevin Tracy, a renowned researcher and inventor, about his journey in medicine and the significance of the vagus nerve in health. Kevin shares personal anecdotes, including the impact of his mother's illness on his career path. The discussion delves into the vagus nerve's role in regulating inflammation, heart rate variability, and its potential in treating autoimmune diseases through vagus nerve stimulation. Kevin emphasises the importance of healthy lifestyle choices and the need for further research in this promising field.

Key Takeaways:

• The vagus nerve plays a crucial role in regulating inflammation.
• Heart rate variability is a measure of vagal tone but has limitations.
• Vagus nerve stimulation shows promise in treating autoimmune diseases.
• Clinical trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of vagus nerve stimulation.
• The vagus nerve connects the brain and immune system, influencing health.
• Cold exposure may activate the vagus nerve and reduce inflammation.
• Healthy lifestyle choices are essential for overall well-being.
• Future research may uncover more applications for vagus nerve stimulation.

02:49 Personal Journey into Medicine

08:37 The Vagus Nerve: A Key to Health

14:50 Heart Rate Variability and Vagal Tone

31:28 The Inflammatory Reflex and Vagus Nerve

45:46 Clinical Applications of Vagus Nerve Stimulation

51:11 Future Directions in Vagus Nerve Research

Resources

Connected with Dr Kevin Tracey

Kevin's latest book:

The Great Nerve: The New Science of the Vagus Nerve and How to Harness Its Healing Reflexes

https://feinstein.northwell.edu/institutes-researchers/our-researchers/kevin-j-tracey-md

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinjtraceymd/

X https://x.com/KevinJTraceyMD

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