Kevin J. Tracey, MD is president and CEO of the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research at Northwell Health, a pioneer of vagus nerve research and author of the recent book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/059371699X/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Great Nerve: The New Science of the Vagus Nerve and How to Harness Its Healing Reflexes</a>. This episode is brought to you by:<a href="https://www.eightsleep.com/tim/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Eight Sleep Pod Cover 5</a>&nbsp;sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eightsleep.com/tim/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">EightSleep.com/Tim</a>&nbsp;(use code TIM to get $350 off your very own Pod 5 Ultra.)<a href="https://drinkag1.com/Tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AG1</a>&nbsp;all-in-one nutritional supplement:&nbsp;<a href="https://drinkag1.com/Tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://DrinkAG1.com/Tim</a>&nbsp;(1-year supply of Vitamin D plus 5 free AG1 travel packs with your first subscription purchase.)<a href="https://wealthfront.com/Tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Wealthfront</a>&nbsp;high-yield cash account:&nbsp;<a href="https://wealthfront.com/Tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://Wealthfront.com/Tim</a>&nbsp;(Start earning 4.00% APY on your short-term cash until you’re ready to invest. And when new clients open an account today, you can&nbsp;<a href="https://wealthfront.com/Tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">get an extra fifty-dollar bonus</a>&nbsp;with a deposit of five hundred dollars or more.)&nbsp;Terms apply. Tim Ferriss receives cash compensation from Wealthfront Brokerage, LLC for advertising and holds a non-controlling equity interest in the corporate parent of Wealthfront Brokerage. See full disclosures&nbsp;<a href="https://wealthfront.com/Tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.Timestamps:00:00 Tim’s intro: why he dismissed vagus-nerve hype06:34 What the vagus nerve actually is, plus common myths11:31 Breaking news: FDA approval for SetPoint’s RA implant + Kelly Owens’s turnaround21:11 Inflammation 101: when healing turns harmful31:37 Bioelectronic medicine: from lab insight to real devices55:26 TNF, IL-1, and IL-6: immune drivers and what VNS modulates56:06 Exercise & recovery: vagal signals, IL-6, and adaptation56:30 Cold exposure & breathwork: sympathetic spike, parasympathetic payoff59:04 Chronic inflammation today: prevalence, diagnostics, and uncertainty59:53 Autoimmunity: genes, environment, infections01:01:08 Stress hormones, personality traits, and metabolic fallout01:05:41 VNS tech landscape: implants, focused ultrasound, and what’s just TENS01:11:14 Ear maps, revisited: the real science behind auricular stimulation01:27:52 Ulf Andersson: auricular TENS, famotidine, and a depression turnaround01:36:48 Depression & inflammation: where VNS helps (and where it doesn’t)01:41:38 Body-brain loop: how inflammation signals ride the vagus nerve01:42:56 Why VNS can lift mood: a working theory01:43:22 Ulf’s setup: electrode placement and twice-daily routine01:44:37 Acupuncture, fertility, and plausible vagal links01:47:23 Chronic pain through an inflammation lens01:48:34 Neural “engrams”: how the brain can store inflammatory memories02:02:35 Cervical TENS vs. true VNS: mechanisms and open questions02:12:15 On stage with the Dalai Lama: blue energy and two vagus nerves02:16:55 Closing thoughts: self-care vs. medical devices, and what’s next*For show notes and past guests on&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Tim Ferriss Show</a>, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/podcast/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=podcast-description" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tim.blog/podcast</a>.For deals from sponsors of&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Tim Ferriss Show</a>,&nbsp;please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/podcast-sponsors" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tim.blog/podcast-sponsors</a>Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at&nbsp;<a href="https://go.tim.blog/5-bullet-friday-1/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tim.blog/friday</a>.For transcripts of episodes, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/transcripts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tim.blog/transcripts</a>.Discover Tim’s books:&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/books" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tim.blog/books</a>.Follow Tim:Twitter:&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/tferriss" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">twitter.com/tferriss</a>&nbsp;Instagram:&nbsp;<a href="https://instagram.com/timferriss/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">instagram.com/timferriss</a>YouTube:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/timferriss" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">youtube.com/timferriss</a>Facebook:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/TimFerriss/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">facebook.com/timferriss</a>&nbsp;LinkedIn:&nbsp;<a href="http://linkedin.com/in/timferriss" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">linkedin.com/in/timferriss</a>Past guests on&nbsp;<a href="http://tim.blog/podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Tim Ferriss Show</a>&nbsp;include&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/12/08/jerry-seinfeld/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jerry Seinfeld</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/06/26/hugh-jackman/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hugh Jackman</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/04/16/jane-goodall/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dr. Jane Goodall</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2018/11/27/lebron-james-mike-mancias/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LeBron James</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/05/20/kevin-hart/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kevin Hart</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2018/09/07/doris-kearns-goodwin-leadership/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Doris Kearns Goodwin</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2015/12/06/jamie-foxx/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jamie Foxx</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/10/19/matthew-mcconaughey/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Matthew McConaughey</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2017/05/21/esther-perel/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Esther Perel</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/05/08/elizabeth-gilbert/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Elizabeth Gilbert</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2017/12/20/terry-crews-how-to-have-do-and-be-all-you-want/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Terry Crews</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/08/12/sia/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sia</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/10/27/yuval-noah-harari/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Yuval Noah Harari</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2016/06/21/malcolm-gladwell/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Malcolm Gladwell</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/05/27/secretary-madeleine-albright/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Madeleine Albright</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2017/03/30/cheryl-strayed/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cheryl Strayed</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2019/02/18/jim-collins/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jim Collins</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/11/11/mary-karr/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mary Karr,</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2014/10/21/brain-pickings/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Maria Popova</a>,&nbsp;<a 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Huffington</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2015/08/31/the-oracle-of-silicon-valley-reid-hoffman-plus-michael-mccullough/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Reid Hoffman</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2017/09/17/bill-burr/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bill Burr</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2015/06/26/whitney-cummings/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Whitney Cummings</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2015/05/15/rick-rubin/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rick Rubin</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/03/26/vivek-murthy/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dr. Vivek Murthy</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2017/09/09/darren-aronofsky/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Darren Aronofsky</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2022/02/22/margaret-atwood/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Margaret Atwood</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2022/03/24/mark-zuckerberg/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mark Zuckerberg</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2014/09/09/peter-thiel/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Peter Thiel</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2018/02/20/gabor-mate/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dr. Gabor Maté</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2021/07/09/anne-lamott/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Anne Lamott</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2022/01/12/sarah-silverman/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sarah Silverman</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2021/07/06/andrew-huberman/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dr. Andrew Huberman</a>, and many more.See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

#824: Dr. Kevin Tracey — Stimulating The Vagus Nerve to Tame Inflammation, Alleviate Depression, Treat Autoimmune Disorders (e.g., Rheumatoid Arthritis), and Much More

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#824: Dr. Kevin Tracey — Stimulating The Vagus Nerve to Tame Inflammation, Alleviate Depression, Treat Autoimmune Disorders (e.g., Rheumatoid Arthritis), and Much More

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