I’ll never forget my first panic attack. I was 12, and I had a huge project due the next day that I had completely put off. At around 9 p.m., the stress hit me like a tidal wave. My body got unbearably hot, panic surged through me, and I broke down in tears as I told my parents. Soon, my breathing became shallow, my head spun, and I found myself gasping for air.
That was just the beginning of my lifelong journey with anxiety. Throughout high school, college, and adulthood, I’ve experienced racing thoughts, overwhelming stress, and—on the worst days—multiple panic attacks in a single day.
Now, at 28, I’ve learned how to manage my anxiety before it spirals out of control. But it never fully disappears. Instead, it takes consistent stress-reducing practices to keep it in check.
Recently, I learned about the vagus nerve and how it plays a critical role in anxiety regulation. If you struggle with anxiety, understanding this powerful nerve (and how to support it) could be a game-changer. And the best part? One of the easiest ways to stimulate it doesn’t involve meditation or breathwork—it’s simply getting more omega-3s into your diet.
What Is the Vagus Nerve?
The vagus nerve runs from your brainstem down to your abdomen, playing a key role in the parasympathetic nervous system—the system responsible for calming your body after stress. It helps regulate:
✅ Heart rate
✅ Digestion
✅ Neurotransmitter levels
✅ Hormone balance
✅ Immune function
When we encounter stress, our sympathetic nervous system triggers a “fight or flight” response, flooding our body with adrenaline and cortisol. This is useful if you’re facing an actual threat (like a bear charging at you), but our bodies react the same way to modern stressors—like an overwhelming workload or a tough conversation.
A well-functioning vagus nerve helps bring the body back to a relaxed state, preventing it from getting stuck in a loop of stress and anxiety.
How Omega-3s Support Anxiety Management
There are plenty of ways to strengthen vagal tone (a sign of a well-functioning vagus nerve), including cold exposure, light exercise, and deep breathing. But omega-3 fatty acids are an especially simple and powerful tool.
According to a 2011 scientific review in Frontiers in Physiology, omega-3s help increase vagal tone by regulating heart rate variability (HRV)—a key indicator of how well your body manages stress. A higher HRV means your body can recover from stress faster, keeping anxiety levels in check.
A randomized controlled trial published in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity found that when medical students significantly increased their omega-3 intake (taking 2,085 mg of EPA and 348 mg of DHA daily), they:
♂️ Reduced anxiety symptoms by 20%
Lowered stress-related inflammation by 14%
If that’s not a reason to add more salmon to your plate, I don’t know what is!
How to Get More Omega-3s
If you want to support your vagus nerve and reduce anxiety, make omega-3s a daily habit. Here’s how:
Eat more fatty fish: Aim for two or more servings per week of salmon, mackerel, sardines, or anchovies.
Take a high-quality omega-3 supplement: If eating fish regularly isn’t your thing, a high-potency fish oil supplement can provide the right amounts of EPA and DHA to support brain health and anxiety management.
The Takeaway
Anxiety can feel overwhelming, but small daily choices can make a big difference. If you want to improve heart rate variability, strengthen your parasympathetic nervous system, and better manage stress, increasing your omega-3 intake is a smart, science-backed move.
So next time you’re planning your meals, consider adding some omega-3-rich foods to the menu—your nervous system will thank you.