(And why supporting your vagus nerve may matter more than another tablet or tincture)
Every winter, without fail, I find myself doing the same small rituals to prepare for the colder months. I restock my supplements, I tuck a throat spray into every handbag, and I quietly adjust my routines so my body has a little more support. For me, this has always been part of taking care of myself — a gentle, proactive effort to stay well while the world around me slows down, tightens, and darkens.
My clients do the same. There’s something about winter that nudges all of us into “what else can I take to protect myself?” mode. We instinctively look outward: for nutrients, remedies, boosters, and solutions that promise resilience.
But over the years — both in my own recovery from autoimmune challenges and in the clinic — I’ve realised that winter health is not only about what we add. Sometimes the most powerful support comes from strengthening systems that are already built into the body, rather than layering on more from the outside.
And for many people, the system most in need of attention is the nervous system, specifically the vagus nerve.
Why winter feels different inside the body
Winter is not simply a season; it’s a physiological shift. The daylight changes, the temperature drops, the air dries, our routines tighten, and our resilience can shrink without us noticing.
I see this every year. Clients who have been feeling stable suddenly experience flares. Digestion seems more sensitive. Hair shedding becomes more noticeable. Histamine reactivity creeps in. Fatigue deepens. And in the background, there is a subtle feeling that the body is “working harder,” even without anything dramatically wrong.
From a scientific perspective, winter places pressure on several systems at once. Mitochondria produce less energy when sunlight exposure drops. Dry air weakens the mucosal surfaces that form the first barrier of our immune system. Cold weather can constrict blood flow. And the social and emotional load of the end of the year often pushes people into a state of low-grade sympathetic overdrive — a subtle physiological stress that isn’t always obvious but is absolutely felt.
None of this operates in isolation. These pressures meet in one central pathway:
the autonomic nervous system, where the vagus nerve acts as the bridge between our brain, our gut, and our immune response.
How I came to understand the vagus nerve as an immune organ
I didn’t always appreciate how foundational vagal tone was. Early in my career, I focused heavily on nutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, gut ecology, detoxification, and hormone balance. These are still essential pillars in my work.
But over time, I noticed a pattern that I couldn’t ignore: Clients with the same nutrient status or the same gut findings responded differently depending on the state of their nervous system.
Some would stabilise beautifully with a few targeted interventions. Others needed far more support for the same results. And when I looked closely, the difference wasn’t discipline or “doing the protocol properly.” It was regulation — the body’s ability to switch out of survival mode.
That was the moment the vagus nerve moved from a line in a textbook to something deeply relevant in real life. And when I later learned about the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway, everything clicked. This pathway is the body’s natural brake on inflammation — a neurological mechanism that tells the immune system when to calm down and when to respond appropriately.
If vagal tone is low, this braking system becomes sluggish.
Inflammation escalates more easily.
Cytokines like TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β are released more readily.
Mast cells fire off at the smallest provocation.
Digestion slows, which affects nutrient absorption.
Secretory IgA — the immune coating in your gut and airways — can fall.
And suddenly winter begins to feel like something to endure, rather than move through with steadiness.
Why vagal tone matters as much as supplements — sometimes mo
I still take additional supplements in the winter. I always will. Vitamin D, zinc, vitamin C, herbal throat sprays — they absolutely have their place. But supplements work best when the nervous system is receptive, regulated, and capable of integrating them.
Supporting the vagus nerve strengthens immune regulation at its source. It doesn’t “boost” the immune system (which is not what anyone with autoimmunity truly needs); instead, it helps the body respond proportionately and intelligently.
When the vagus nerve is functioning well, the entire immune landscape shifts. People tolerate more. They recover faster. They experience fewer flares. Energy feels steadier. Digestion becomes more reliable. And the seasonal “crashes” many dread each year become far less dramatic.
In clinical practice, this is one of the most consistent patterns I see. Improve vagal tone, and everything else becomes easier.
You can learn more about the benefits of vagal tone in this episode of The Autoimmune RESET podcast. Boost Vagal Tone to Reduce Stress and Reverse Autoimmune Symptoms.
Where Nurosym fits in — and why I began using it myself
There are many beautiful ways to support the vagus nerve: breathwork, humming, cold exposure, time in nature, mindful eating, proper pacing, and simple rest. I use these with clients all the time, and they do work.
But I also know that when someone is fatigued, inflamed, anxious, or dysregulated, asking them to implement multiple practices daily can feel unrealistic. That was certainly true for me during periods of my own autoimmune journey — when doing “more” wasn’t the answer, even if those things were helpful in theory.
This is where Nurosym, which uses non-invasive auricular vagus nerve stimulation, enters the picture. It offers a structured, consistent way to activate the vagus nerve based on well-established research into aVNS (auricular vagus nerve stimulation).
Studies have shown that this kind of stimulation can modulate inflammatory pathways, improve heart-rate variability, enhance mitochondrial efficiency, and support gut–immune communication. It effectively strengthens the body’s natural anti-inflammatory reflex — the very reflex that often becomes compromised in winter.
I use it personally, and I recommend it to clients who need a reliable, science-based way to support nervous system regulation, especially during the darker months when everything feels a little more demanding on the body.
It’s not a replacement for the basics. But it enhances them. It deepens their impact. And for many people, it provides a sense of calm and regulation they haven’t felt in years.
If you would like to learn more about Nurosym, you can find out more here and get a 10% discount with the code VJ10 at checkout.
A different way to enter the winter season
As we move into the heart of winter, you may find yourself — like so many others — reaching for supplements, sprays, teas, and remedies. These can absolutely help, and I continue to use them myself.
But I encourage you to also think about the internal systems that shape your resilience in quieter, more foundational ways.
Ask yourself not only,
“What else can I take?”
but also,
“How can I support my body so it responds better to everything I’m already doing?”
When you strengthen the vagus nerve, you change the way the immune system perceives the world. Triggers feel smaller. Stress feels more manageable. Inflammation feels less unpredictable. And winter becomes less of a battle and more of a season you can move through with steadiness and confidence.
If you’re ready to strengthen your foundation this winter and begin supporting your immune system from the inside out, you might find The Autoimmunity Recovery Plan a really helpful place to begin. It brings together the core principles I teach in clinic — from nutrition and gut repair to nervous system regulation — and gives you a clear, structured pathway to start rebuilding resilience.
You can download it here and begin today.
VJ Hamilton, BSc, RNT
VJ Hamilton is a Registered Nutritionist (BANT) and an expert in autoimmune disease. VJ combines her knowledge from her medical science degree in Biochemistry & Immunology with Nutritional Therapy to offer a thorough and personalised approach to support her clients based on the most current scientific research. VJ runs a virtual and in-person nutritional therapy and functional medicine practice, The Autoimmunity Nutritionist, specialising in gut skin and immune health.