Essentials: The Biology of Taste Perception & Sugar Craving | Dr. Charles Zuker
In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, my guest is Dr. Charles Zuker, PhD, a professor of biochemistry, molecular biophysics and neuroscience at Columbia University and an Investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI).
We explore taste perception and how the brain transforms chemical signals from food into distinct taste experiences. We discuss how these taste signals shape both conscious choices and unconscious behavior, as well as how food preferences can change over time. Additionally, we discuss gut–brain signaling and explain why sugar is especially powerful at driving cravings.
Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com.
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Timestamps
(00:00:00) Charles Zuker
(00:00:20) Senses & Perception
(00:02:29) Taste, 5 Taste Qualities & Dietary Needs
(00:05:49) Taste vs Flavor
(00:07:05) Sponsor: AG1
(00:07:56) Taste Buds; Bitter
(00:09:45) Sweet vs Bitter, Sensory Perception from Tongue to Brain
(00:12:47) Taste Plasticity & Changing Food Preferences
(00:14:13) Taste Modulation; Salt
(00:17:08) Sponsor: LMNT
(00:18:41) Gut-Brain Signaling
(00:23:14) Sugar Appetite & Gut-Brain Axis
(00:27:42) Sponsor: Function
(00:29:21) Artificial Sweeteners, Sugar Cravings
(00:30:37) Taste & Essential Nutrients; Highly Processed Foods; Brain & Food Choices
(00:34:11) Acknowledgements
Disclaimer & Disclosures
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Popis podcastu
The Huberman Lab podcast is hosted by Andrew Huberman, Ph.D., a neuroscientist and tenured professor in the department of neurobiology, and by courtesy, psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford School of Medicine. The podcast discusses neuroscience and science-based tools, including how our brain and its connections with the organs of our body control our perceptions, our behaviors, and our health, as well as existing and emerging tools for measuring and changing how our nervous system works.
Huberman has made numerous significant contributions to the fields of brain development, brain function, and neural plasticity, which is the ability of our nervous system to rewire and learn new behaviors, skills, and cognitive functioning. He is a McKnight Foundation and Pew Foundation Fellow and was awarded the Cogan Award, given to the scientist making the most significant discoveries in the study of vision, in 2017.
Work from the Huberman Laboratory at Stanford School of Medicine has been published in top journals, including Nature, Science, and Cell, and has been featured in TIME, BBC, Scientific American, Discover, and other top media outlets.
In 2021, Dr. Huberman launched the Huberman Lab podcast. The podcast is frequently ranked in the top 10 of all podcasts globally and is often ranked #1 in the categories of Science, Education, and Health & Fitness.