The Missing Link to Optimal Health

Written by Irene Pierce Panayi

We are living in a world where health is on the decline, and diseases of all kinds—from cancer to mental illness—are on the rise. Chronic inflammation, which disrupts the optimal functioning of our body’s systems, is increasing rapidly as well. All of these statistics are a clear indication that something essential is being missed. Thus, it’s time to rethink how we view the body. We can’t achieve new or better results by focusing on the same approaches over and over again.

For decades, we’ve operated with the belief that our bodies function from the top down, with the brain in control. More recently, research has shown that neuron signals also travel upward from the gut, highlighting the importance of the gut-brain axis in influencing everything from immune function to metabolism and mental health. Given that the brain/mind and gut have been identified as the primary areas to focus on, many “solutions” for achieving balance in the body center around nutrition, exercise, mediation and yoga. But one key area is consistently overlooked, and we can’t expect to be healthy if a fundamental piece of the puzzle is missing. 

While science has identified both the brain and gut as crucial centers for health, there is a third center that is often undervalued in modern medicine but deeply emphasized across major spiritual traditions including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism: the heart. The heart is not only central to our body’s anatomy, but it’s central to our being and keeping it healthy requires more than you may think.

On a physical level, the heart does far more than just pump blood. It contains its own “heart-brain,” composed of more than 40,000 neurons. More signals are sent from the heart to the brain than the other way around. These signals travel via the vagus nerve, one of the body’s most important communication highways. The vagus nerve connects the heart to the brain and various organs, influencing everything from heart rate, digestion, and inflammation to mood and mental health. Because of this, our heart, vagus nerve, and vagal tone should be among the first areas we assess and support when pursuing optimal health.

Research has shown that compassion is a key component that strengthens our vagus nerve and vagal tone and there is a good reason for that—We are designed to both give and receive love. When we show compassion and care for others, it stirs something within us—something real, tangible, deeply moving, and healing.

An apt analogy of the impact is a guitar—One that sits untouched in the corner gathers dust and becomes lifeless while one that is played comes to life. Similarly, our “heart-strings" must be pulled to bring our heart to life and function properly as well. This happens through acts of love, compassion, and charity. These acts not only nourish the soul, but also have real biological effects on the physical body.

Many of our body’s ailments are a reaction to turbulent thoughts and emotions that cause inflammation, sleep disturbances, anxiety, and imbalances in the body. But if we can change what we think about and what we feel, we can change our body’s reactions as well. Many battles can begin and end in the mind if we enable that to happen, and compassion is a major weapon in that battle. It can drastically impact whether one’s mind is a battlefield of negative emotions or a sanctuary of joy, peace and calm.

When you help another person and witness the joy of doing that, that feeling of joy floods your system and the way you feel inside, which improves your mood, reduces inflammation, calms your nervous system, and helps regulate your sleep and immune response. It also impacts the way you view life as a whole.

Compassion doesn’t only benefit others but it helps us to see that others are facing challenges far more difficult than we are, which enables us to feel grateful that we don’t have matters worse than what we do. Feelings of gratitude have also been proven to reduce stress, improve heart health, boost mental clarity, enhance sleep, and strengthen the immune system. 

The type of compassion or charity may be important as is emphasized by the concept of Tzedakah in Judaism. Tzedakah is more than a duty to give—it’s about giving with compassion and the distinction is important. For example, if I write a check and donate money to a cause, that is a charitable act. However, in that scenario, I may not witness the impact of my giving and, as a result, may stop after that single act.

But if I give with compassion—feeling deeply connected to the cause and see the gratitude in someone’s eyes or the real impact on their life—it affects me on a much deeper level. That kind of giving doesn’t just benefit the recipient; it also transforms me. It touches the heart, strengthens vagal tone, and may inspire me to do even more—to help address the root of the person’s need or help to correct the injustice they may face. 

Ultimately, giving and helping others is about love. Love is powerful and has a measurable and profound impact on the body on all levels. Love fosters harmony, mental clarity, emotional balance, and physical well-being. It shifts the nervous system from a state of fight-or-flight to one of empathy, insight, and calm. It fuels peace within us and peace in the world around us at the same time. 

If we focus too much on our own problems and neglect the needs of others, it can quite literally make us sick and start to break down our mental and physical well-being. So the next time you are trying to assess why you may not be feeling well or the next time you are asking a patient why they may not be feeling well, don’t just look at symptoms, sleep, nutrition, and exercise but consider the time that is being allocated to getting out in the world to love and help others. Compassion and love are not just spiritual ideals but are biological necessities and the first step towards ideal health and wellness. 

It’s important to self assess whether one’s heart is like that old guitar collecting dust in the corner, or if it’s alive and beating wildly with love, compassion, and charity for others. We always knew that we needed love, but as it turns out, we need to give as much love as we can to stay healthy and happy, too.

Look for my follow-up articles on how this new concept and other new perspectives are destined to reshape the way we approach medicine and medical exams.

For more ideas and perspectives on health and other topics visit www.irenepiercepanayi.com and follow me on instagram @irenepiercepanayi.com and You Tube Irene Pierce Panayi. To email me, contact IrenePiercePanayi@yahoo.com