The Huberman Lab Podcast discusses neuroscience: how our brain and its connections with the organs of our body control our perceptions, our behaviors, and our health. We also discuss existing and emerging tools for measuring and changing how our nervous system works. Dr. Andrew Huberman is a tenured Professor of Neurobiology and Ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. His laboratory studies neural regeneration, neuroplasticity, and brain states such as stress, focus, fear, and optimal performance. For more than 20 years, Dr. Huberman has consistently published original research findings and review articles in top-level peer-reviewed journals, including Nature, Science, Cell, Neuron, and Current Biology. He is a regular member of several National Institutes of Health review panels and a Fellow of the McKnight Foundation and the Pew Charitable Trusts. Dr. Huberman regularly consults for technology development companies, professional athletic organizations, and various units of U.S. and Canadian Special Operations.
Essentials: How Foods & Nutrients Control Our Moods
In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, I explain how the different nutrients and foods we eat impact our emotions and overall mood.
I discuss how the mind-body connection shapes our food choices and cravings, highlighting the roles of key neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin in driving eating behaviors. I explain the biological mechanisms behind cravings for specific foods, such as sugar, and how psychological factors like belief effects can influence our perception of hunger. I also describe how certain nutrients, like omega-3 fatty acids, and a healthy gut microbiome are crucial in mood regulation and immune function.
Huberman Lab Essentials are short episodes (approximately 30 minutes) focused on essential science and protocol takeaways from past Huberman Lab episodes. Essentials will be released every Thursday, and our full-length episodes will still be released every Monday.
Read the full episode show notes at hubermanlab.com.
Thank you to our sponsors
AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman
Function: https://functionhealth.com/huberman
LMNT: https://drinkag1.com/huberman
Timestamps
00:00:00 Huberman Lab Essentials; Emotions, Food & Nutrition
00:02:30 Attraction & Aversion
00:03:38 Vagus Nerve, Sugar
00:06:31 Sponsor: Function
00:08:19 Gut “Feelings”, Hidden Sugars, Amino Acids
00:10:43 Dopamine, Craving, L-tyrosine
00:14:45 Serotonin, Carbohydrates
00:17:59 Sponsor: AG1
00:19:36 Tool: Omega-3s; Depression, SSRIs
00:22:36 Gut-Brain Axis, Gut Microbiome
00:26:00 Probiotics, Brain Fog, Tools: Fermented Foods, Saccharine Caution
00:29:03 Ketogenic Diet & Gut Microbiome, Tool: Individual Diet Variability
00:32:23 Sponsor: LMNT
00:33:40 Tool: Belief Effects; Key Takeaways