If You’re Always Stressed, Your Supplements Can’t Do Their Job

Edited By: Co-Founder Zoe Scholl

DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational use only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider for personalized guidance.

We live in a world full of chaos between always needing to do more, achieve goals, or squeezing one more task before bed.

But when your body stays in that state of go, go, go for too long, it forgets how to receive. This is known as your sympathetic dominance, also known as the “fight-or-flight” mode. (1)

And in that state, no matter how high quality your supplements are, your body can’t use them the way it is meant to.

The Physiology of “Fight or Flight”

When your sympathetic nervous system is dominant, your body prioritizes survival. (2)

• Blood flow moves away from your gut and toward your muscles.
• Digestion slows down.
• Enzyme production and stomach acid drop.
• Nutrient absorption decreases.

This response is effective in short bursts, this is how our ancestors escaped danger. A short-term burst of energy and focus to survive. But in our modern world, emails, blue light, caffeine, and emotional stress can keep the body stuck in this high-alert state all day long.

When that happens, cortisol and adrenaline stay elevated, heart rate variability (HRV) drops, and the body's vagal tone (its ability to return to calm) weakens. Over time, your nervous system becomes less adaptable and if this state becomes your baseline, your body can no longer rest, digest, or repair.

Supplements Need a “Rest and Digest” State to Work

Every supplement you take depends on your parasympathetic state, your ‘rest and digest’ mode to do its job. (3)

This is when:

• Stomach acid breaks nutrients down efficiently
• The gut lining becomes more permeable (in a healthy way) to allow absorption
• The liver and enzymes can metabolize compounds properly.
• The microbiota, the trillions of bacteria in your gut, communicate freely with your brain through the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis (MGBA).

In a calm, receptive state, your vagus nerve signals the gut to move, secrete, and absorb. Beneficial bacteria thrive, short-chain fatty acids are produced, and serotonin, nearly 90% of which is made in your gut flows freely to support mood and focus.

But when your body is tense, inflamed, or anxious, these pathways tighten. The vagus nerve loses tone, digestion slows, and supplements may pass through with being properly utilized.

How to Regulate Your Nervous System

The goal is not to eliminate stress altogether, but to move between states with ease. A regulated nervous system can shift from alert to calm, effort to recovery, doing to being.

When you restore that flexibility:

• Digestion normalizes.
• Nutrient uptake improves.
• Cellular signaling becomes more efficient.
• Supplements can actually deliver what they are meant to.

Your vagus nerve plays a major role here. It is the communication highway between your gut and brain. It influences heart rate, digestion, mood, and inflammation. When it's toned and active, it signals safety to your body.

Stimulation techniques like breathwork, humming, gargling, cold exposure, and meditation can help strengthen vagal tone. Even more, nutrients and botanical that work on GABA receptors, such as saffron, lemon balm, holy basil, or blue lotus can enhance this signal from within. 

This is how your body learns to transition from "fight-or-flight" back to "rest and digest," restoring balance to the entire MGBA. (4)

Supporting Your Nervous System State

If you feel like your supplements are not working, try addressing your state first, not your stack. (5)

• Breathe before you eat. A few exhalations activate the vagus nerve.
• Don’t multitask during meals. Presence enhances digestion more than any pill can.
• Practice short daily resets. Even two minutes of stillness signals safety to the body.
• Use adaptogens intentionally.

This is where intentional support can help through breath, routine, and nutrients that work with your nervous system.

My Vagus Nerve BALANCE™ was created to remind your body how to return to that calm, receptive state where healing and absorption begin. It’s a neuro-adaptive blend infused with saffron, honey, and botanicals known to support GABA activity and vagal tone. Together, ingredients like Blue Lotus, Lemon Balm, Holy Basil, Kanna, and trace minerals help regulate the stress response and strengthen the communication between your gut and brain.

Rather than forcing calm, BALANCE™ encourages adaptability. It helps the nervous system shift smoothly between activation and rest, creating the internal conditions your supplements need to actually do their work.

When your body feels safe, it can finally heal.

Discover practical ways to restore your parasympathetic state in our FREE Vagus Nerve Healing Guide, your step-by-step resource for reconnecting the gut-brain axis and bringing your body back into balance.