Dr. Kevin Tracey

I don't think so.

I can play the piano and chew gum at the same time, you know?

So when you break it down in a sequential way, you can understand why people are interested in it.

And I do do cold showers several times a week at the end of my regular shower.

And the reason is fight or flight, acute controlled fight or flight is anti-inflammatory.

We and many others have proved that, including Wim Hof, by the way.

And

increasing vagus activity is anti-inflammatory and we prove that.

So for me, it's a Pascal's wager, right?

My doctor says I can, I'm okay in cold water.

I don't, I mean, I hate it for 30 seconds, but then I don't mind it and it might be good for me.

So I do it, but I don't, but I don't call it a vagus nerve stimulator.

Well, here we go again, right?

Let's start with what's really easy to understand and I think probably pretty important.

So we can't measure the vagus nerve directly in humans.

We don't have the technology.

We can put electrodes in animals and we can measure individual fibers and groups of fibers.

And we can get a lot of interesting data about how the vagus nerve works by recording its activity in animals.

But we don't have the tools to do that yet in people.

They'll come someday.