Episode
How Smell, Taste & Pheromone-Like Chemicals Control You
1:58:07
Published: Mon Jun 21 2021
Description
This episode explains how we sense chemicals through smell, taste, and pheromones. How things smell and taste and chemicals in the tears, breath, and on the skin of others have a profound effect on how we feel, what we do, and our hormones. I explain the 3 types of responses to smell, the 5 types of tastes, the possible existence of sixth taste sense, and how the act of sniffing can make us learn and focus better. I explain how smell and taste reflect brain health and can assess and even promote brain regeneration. I discuss how eating specific categories of foods makes us crave more of those foods, including how to make sour things taste sweet and develop a heightened sense of smell and taste. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Thesis: https://takethesis.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer
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EpisodeHow Smell, Taste & Pheromone-Like Chemicals Control You
PodcastHuberman Lab
This episode covers tools and techniques to enhance our sense of smell and how it can in turn enhance our taste and cognition.
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EpisodeHow Smell, Taste & Pheromone-Like Chemicals Control You
PodcastHuberman Lab
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EpisodeHow Smell, Taste & Pheromone-Like Chemicals Control You
PodcastHuberman Lab
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16:41 - 32:07 (15:26)
Summary
The act of smelling impacts how your brain functions, what you can learn, and what you can’t learn. Scientists have discovered that if human subjects are restricted to breathing through their nose, they learn better, as the neurons that respond to things like smoke are highly adaptive in terms of detecting the threat of some kind.
EpisodeHow Smell, Taste & Pheromone-Like Chemicals Control You
PodcastHuberman Lab
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32:07 - 38:52 (06:44)
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EpisodeHow Smell, Taste & Pheromone-Like Chemicals Control You
PodcastHuberman Lab
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38:52 - 46:09 (07:17)
Summary
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EpisodeHow Smell, Taste & Pheromone-Like Chemicals Control You
PodcastHuberman Lab
Sense of smell deteriorates with age, and it's thought to be correlated with the loss of other neurons in the ears and eyes.
46:09 - 53:11 (07:01)
Summary
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EpisodeHow Smell, Taste & Pheromone-Like Chemicals Control You
PodcastHuberman Lab
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53:11 - 1:03:10 (09:58)
Summary
The human sense of smell can impact our brain activity and behavior in various ways, from triggering alertness to assessing brain function, and can even be influenced by our genes.
EpisodeHow Smell, Taste & Pheromone-Like Chemicals Control You
PodcastHuberman Lab
The idea that our taste buds are mapped into certain sections of our tongues is a complete myth.
1:03:10 - 1:09:15 (06:05)
Summary
The idea that our taste buds are mapped into certain sections of our tongues is a complete myth. Sensitivity to taste is not based on the location of the receptors, but rather the overall density of receptors and brain activity.
EpisodeHow Smell, Taste & Pheromone-Like Chemicals Control You
PodcastHuberman Lab
Recent studies by Diego Borges' lab at Duke University have discovered that neurons in the gut can sense sugars, fatty acids, and amino acids, and when we consume them, signals are sent to our brain via the vagus nerve which secretes dopamine, making us want more of that thing.
1:09:15 - 1:16:07 (06:52)
Summary
Recent studies by Diego Borges' lab at Duke University have discovered that neurons in the gut can sense sugars, fatty acids, and amino acids, and when we consume them, signals are sent to our brain via the vagus nerve which secretes dopamine, making us want more of that thing.
EpisodeHow Smell, Taste & Pheromone-Like Chemicals Control You
PodcastHuberman Lab
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1:16:07 - 1:24:04 (07:56)
Summary
Dogs, tigers, and bears have a much higher degree of sensitivity to savory things, but can't taste sweet things. Enhancing our ability to taste different component parts of food is possible by paying attention to what we are eating, due to the different taste receptors present in our tongue.
EpisodeHow Smell, Taste & Pheromone-Like Chemicals Control You
PodcastHuberman Lab
Our taste system is designed to move towards things that are good for us and move away from things that are bad for us.
1:24:04 - 1:32:36 (08:32)
Summary
Our taste system is designed to move towards things that are good for us and move away from things that are bad for us. The receptors on the tongue are also expressed on the gonads, creating a desire to move towards certain foods and the experiences that are associated with them.
EpisodeHow Smell, Taste & Pheromone-Like Chemicals Control You
PodcastHuberman Lab
The Maillard reaction is the savory reaction that happens when sugar and amino acids come together during the cooking process, creating textures and flavors that trigger a dopamine response.
1:32:36 - 1:37:26 (04:49)
Summary
The Maillard reaction is the savory reaction that happens when sugar and amino acids come together during the cooking process, creating textures and flavors that trigger a dopamine response. This reaction is commonly used in processed foods to create more palatable and addictive flavors.
EpisodeHow Smell, Taste & Pheromone-Like Chemicals Control You
PodcastHuberman Lab
Food companies are experts in figuring out what drives the dopamine system, making people crave more certain foods because they contain ingredients that make you want more of them, even when the food is not sweet.
1:37:26 - 1:43:48 (06:22)
Summary
Food companies are experts in figuring out what drives the dopamine system, making people crave more certain foods because they contain ingredients that make you want more of them, even when the food is not sweet. Researchers at Columbia University have done experiments that show the system responsible for sending signals to our mind that we want more is quite powerful and can overpower our taste buds leading us to eat more of it if we are not careful.
EpisodeHow Smell, Taste & Pheromone-Like Chemicals Control You
PodcastHuberman Lab
Recent data suggests that chemical signaling between women can impact the timing of menstrual cycles, with hormones and pheromones having a profound effect on systems in biology that influence feelings of attraction and trust towards others.
1:43:48 - 1:52:47 (08:58)
Summary
Recent data suggests that chemical signaling between women can impact the timing of menstrual cycles, with hormones and pheromones having a profound effect on systems in biology that influence feelings of attraction and trust towards others.
EpisodeHow Smell, Taste & Pheromone-Like Chemicals Control You
PodcastHuberman Lab
Our subconscious tendency to evaluate our chemical environment through our senses not only impacts our self-conscious response but also shapes each other's biology through chemicals traded from one body to the next through air and skin-to-skin contact and tears.
1:52:47 - 1:58:00 (05:12)
Summary
Our subconscious tendency to evaluate our chemical environment through our senses not only impacts our self-conscious response but also shapes each other's biology through chemicals traded from one body to the next through air and skin-to-skin contact and tears.