The Biology of Taste Perception & Sugar Craving | Dr. Charles Zuker

My guest this episode is Charles Zuker, Ph.D., Professor of
Biochemistry, Molecular Biophysics and Neuroscience at Columbia
University and an Investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical
Institute. Dr. Zuker is the world’s leading expert in the biology
of taste, thirst and craving. His laboratory explores the
mechanisms of taste perception, focusing on how our conscious and
unconscious processing of specific foods and nutrients guide our
actions and behaviors. We discuss the neural circuits of
taste, the “gut-brain axis,” the basis of food cravings and
the key difference between wanting (craving) and liking
(perceiving) sugar. We also explore how taste perception relates to
specific food satiety, thirst, to our emotions, and expectation. We
also consider how sugar containing and highly-processed foods can
hijack the natural balance of the taste and digestive systems. Dr.
Zuker provides a true masterclass in the biology of taste and
perception that ought to be of interest to anyone curious about how
the brain works, our motivated behaviors and the neural, chemical
perceptual aspects of the mind. For the full show notes, visit
hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1:
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https://livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Dr.
Charles Zuker & Taste Perception (00:03:22) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT
(00:08:35) Sensory Detection vs. Sensory Perception (00:11:48)
Individual Variations within Perception, Color (00:16:20)
Perceptions & Behaviors (00:20:19) The 5 Taste Modalities
(00:26:18) Aversive Taste, Bitter Taste (00:28:00) Survival-Based
& Evolutionary Reasons for Taste Modalities, Taste vs. Flavor
(00:30:14) Additional Taste Modalities: Fat & Metallic
Perception (00:34:02) Tongue “Taste Map,” Taste Buds & Taste
Receptors  (00:39:34) Burning Your Tongue & Perception
(00:42:54) The “Meaning” of Taste Stimuli, Sweet vs. Bitter,
Valence (00:51:55) Positive vs. Negative Neuronal Activation &
Behavior (00:56:16) Acquired Tastes, Conditioned Taste
Aversion  (01:01:44) Olfaction (Smell) vs. Taste, Changing
Tastes over One’s Lifetime (01:09:14) Integration of Odor &
Taste, Influence on Behavior & Emotion (01:17:26) Sensitization
to Taste, Internal State Modulation, Salt (01:24:05) Taste &
Saliva: The Absence of Taste (01:28:10) Sugar & Reward Pleasure
Centers; Gut-Brain Axis, Anticipatory Response (01:36:23) Vagus
Nerve (01:43:09) Insatiable Sugar Appetite, Liking vs. Wanting,
Gut-Brain Axis (01:52:03) Tool: Sugar vs. Artificial Sweeteners,
Curbing Appetite (01:54:06) Cravings & Gut-Brain Axis 
(01:57:30) Nutrition, Gut-Brain Axis & Changes in Behavior
(02:01:53) Fast vs. Slow Signaling & Reinforcement, Highly
Processed Foods  (02:10:38) Favorite Foods: Enjoyment,
Sensation & Context (02:15:58) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube
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