In this episode, my guest is Dr. David Berson, Ph.D., Professor & Chairman of Neuroscience at Brown University. Dr. Berson discovered the neurons in your eye that set your biological rhythms for sleep, wakefulness, mood and appetite. He is also a world-renowned teacher of basic and advanced neuroscience, having taught thousands of university lectures on this topic. Many of his students have become world-leading neuroscientists and teachers themselves. 

Here Dr. Berson takes us on a structured journey into and around the nervous system, explaining: how we perceive the world and our internal landscape, how we balance, see, and remember. Also, how we learn and perform reflexive and deliberate actions, how we visualize and imagine in our mind, and how the various circuits of the brain coordinate all these incredible feats. 

We discuss practical and real-life examples of neural circuit function across the lifespan. Dr. Berson gives us a masterclass in the nervous system—one that, in just less than two hours, will teach you an entire course's worth about the brain and how yours works.

Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.

AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab

Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman

Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman

00:00:00 Dr. David Berson  

00:03:11 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up

00:08:02 How We See  

00:10:02 Color Vision  

00:13:47 “Strange” Vision  

00:16:56 How You Orient In Time  

00:25:45 Body Rhythms, Pineal Function, Light & Melatonin, Blueblockers  

00:34:45 Spending Time Outdoors Improves Eyesight  

00:36:20 Sensation, Mood, & Self-Image  

00:41:03 Sense of Balance  

00:50:43 Why Pigeons Bob Their Heads, Motion Sickness  

01:00:03 Popping Ears  

01:02:35 Midbrain & Blindsight  

01:10:44 Why Tilted Motion Feels Good  

01:13:24 Reflexes vs. Deliberate Actions  

01:16:35 Basal Ganglia & the “2 Marshmallow Test”  

01:24:40 Suppressing Reflexes: Cortex  

01:33:33 Neuroplasticity  

01:36:27 What is a Connectome?  

01:45:20 How to Learn (More About the Brain)  

01:49:04 Book Suggestion, My Berson Appreciation  

01:50:20 Zero-Cost Ways to Support the HLP, Guest Suggestions, Sponsors, Supplements  

Disclaimer

In this episode, I discuss fear and trauma, including the neural circuits involved in the "threat reflex" and how specific experiences and memories come to activate that system. I also discuss how our body is involved in trauma and fear. First, I describe the logic of fear mechanisms and how "top-down" processing-- meaning connections from the parts of the brain that assign meaning to our feelings, are involved in fear and erasing fears and traumas. Then I discuss what successful fear and trauma treatment must include and consider various treatments for whether they meet that standard, such as EMDR, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Ketamine, other drug-assisted therapies, and more. I also review new data on how 5 minutes per day of deliberate, self-imposed stress can erase fear and depression. And I review the role that social connection plays in erasing or maintaining fears by activating specific molecular pathways in the brain and body. Finally, I review supplementation with over-the-counter compounds for their effects on anxiety and fear and when to take them, if at all. 

Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.

AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab

Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman

Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman

00:00:00 Introducing Fear, Trauma & Trauma  

00:02:31 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up

00:06:49 What is Fear?  

00:11:45 Autonomic Arousal: “Alertness” vs. “Calmness”  

00:13:44 Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis (HPA axis)  

00:17:36 “The Threat Reflex”: Neural Circuits for Fear  

00:28:24 Controlling Fear: Top-Down Processing  

00:32:27 Narratives: “Protective or Dangerous”  

00:35:58 Attaching Fear to Events: Classical Conditioning & Memory  

00:41:45 How Fear Learning Occurs: Long Term Potentiation, NMDA  

00:46:10 Extinguishing (Reducing) Fears  

00:50:25 Cognitive (Narrative) Therapies for Fear  

00:57:56 Repetition of Narrative, Overwriting Bad Experiences with Good  

01:05:28 EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing  

01:14:00 Social Connection & Isolation Are Chemically Powerful  

01:18:23 Trans-Generational Trauma  

01:25:00 PTSD Treatments: Ketamine, MDMA, Oxytocin  

01:39:25 How Do You Know If You Are Traumatized?  

01:46:16 Deliberate Brief Stress Can Erase Fears & Trauma  

01:49:50 Erasing Fears & Traumas in 5 Minutes Per Day  

01:59:42 Nutrition, Sleep, & Other General Support Erasing Fear & Trauma  

02:02:30 Supplements for Anxiety, Fear: Saffron, Inositol, Kava  

02:10:00 Synthesis  

02:11:46 Zero-Cost Support, Sponsors, Supplements, Instagram, Twitter  

Disclaimer & Disclosures

In this episode, my guest is Dr. David Buss, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas, Austin, and one of the founding members of the field of evolutionary psychology.

Dr. Buss describes his work on how people select mates for short and long-term relationships, the dynamics of human courtship, and mate value assessment — meaning how people measure up as potential partners. We also discuss the causes of infidelity and differences for infidelity in men and women. He explains how people evaluate and try to alter other people’s mate value as a means to secure and even poach mates. We discuss monogamous and non-monogamous relationships in humans. And we discuss what Dr. Buss calls “the dark triad” — features common in stalkers and narcissists that relate to sexual and psychological violence in relationships.

This episode is sure to be of interest to anyone single or in a relationship who seeks to know how people select mates and anyone who is interested in forming and maintaining healthy romantic partnerships. 

Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.

AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab

Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman

Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman

00:00:00 Introducing Dr. David Buss  

00:04:27 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up

00:08:33 Choosing a Mate  

00:13:40 Long Term Mates: Universal Desires  

00:18:31 What Women & Men Seek in Long-Term Mates  

00:25:10 Age Differences & Mating History  

00:32:20 Deception in Courtship  

00:37:30 Emotional Stability  

00:38:40 Lying About Long-Term Interest  

00:41:56 Short-Term Mating Criteria, Sliding Standards & Context Effects  

00:46:25 Sexual Infidelity: Variety Seeking & (Un)happiness & Mate Switching  

00:54:25 Genetic Cuckolds, How Ovulation Impacts Mate Preference  

00:57:00 Long-Term vs. Short-Term Cheating, Concealment  

00:59:15 Emotional & Financial Infidelity  

01:04:35 Contraception  

01:06:22 Status & Mating Success  

01:10:10 Jealousy, Mate Value Discrepancies, Vigilance, Violence  

01:24:13 Specificity of Intimate Partner Violence  

01:25:12 Mate Retention Tactics: Denigration, Guilt, Etc.  

01:27:33 Narcissism, Machiavellianism, Psychopathy  

01:33:25 Stalking  

01:39:15 Influence of Children on Mate Value Assessments  

01:43:24 Attachment Styles, Mate Choice & Infidelity  

01:46:40 Non-Monogamy, Unconventional Relationships  

01:54:00 Mate Value Self Evaluation, Anxiety About the Truth  

02:02:12 Self Deception  

02:05:35 The Future of Evolutionary Psychology & Neuroscience  

02:06:56 Books: When Men Behave Badly, The Evolution of Desire, Textbooks  

02:10:42 Concluding Statements, Zero-Cost Support: Subscribe, Sponsors, Supplements  

Disclaimer

In this episode, I discuss the science of gratitude, which has been shown in peer-reviewed studies to have tremendous positive effects on mental and physical health. I explain, however, that most commonly used gratitude practices are ineffective (such as gratitude lists). The key elements of highly effective gratitude practices are described, including the essential need for story (narrative), receiving or perceiving gratitude rather than giving it, and the role that theory of mind plays in this context. I also discuss why we can't simply make up feelings of gratitude and how reluctance undermines the process. I also explain the neural circuit mechanisms that underlie the reductions in fear and increases in motivation and lowering of inflammatory chemicals that effective narrative-based gratitude can trigger. Throughout the episode, I use the science of gratitude to design a brief but highly effective protocol. 

Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.

AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab

Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman

Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman

00:00:00 Introduction: Gratitude Science & Surprises  

00:01:50 Controlling Heart Rate with Story  

00:04:48 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up

00:09:11 Major, Long-Lasting Benefits of Gratitude Practice  

00:12:20 Prosocial vs. Defensive Thinking, Behaviors, & Neural Circuits  

00:17:50 Why We All Need an Effective Gratitude Practice  

00:21:22 Neurochemistry & Neural Circuits of Gratitude  

00:25:10 Prefrontal Cortex Set Context  

00:30:10 Ineffective Gratitude Practices; Autonomic Variables  

00:34:55 Key Features of Effective Gratitude Practices: Receiving Thanks & Story  

00:42:30 Theory of Mind Is Key  

00:45:50 Building Effective Gratitude Practices: Adopting Narratives, Duration  

00:52:28 Narratives That Shift Brain-Body Circuits  

00:56:15 You Can’t Lie About Liking Something; Reluctance in Giving  

00:59:55 How Gratitude Changes Your Brain: Reduces Anxiety, Increases Motivation  

01:03:00 5 Minutes (Is More Than Enough), 3X Weekly, Timing Each Day  

01:05:44 Empathy & Anterior Cingulate Cortex  

01:07:35 Reducing Inflammation & Fear with Gratitude  

01:10:56 Serotonin, Kanna/Zembrin  

01:16:00 Neuroplasticity, Pharmacology, Brain Machine Interfaces  

01:18:50 The Best Gratitude Practices: & How To, My Protocol  

01:24:25 Subscribe & Feedback, Supporting Sponsors, Supplements  

Disclaimer & Disclosures

In this episode, I discuss how our brain and body track time and the role that neurochemicals, in particular dopamine and serotonin, but also hormones such as melatonin, allow us to orient ourselves in time. I review the three types of time perception: of the past, of the present, and the future, and how dopamine and serotonin adjust both our perception of the speed of the passage of time and our memory of how long previous experiences lasted. I also discuss circannual entrainment, which is the process by which our brain and body are matched to the seasons, and circadian (24 hours) entrainment, both of which subconsciously adjust our perceived measurement of time. I explain the mechanisms of that subconscious control. And I cover the ultradian (90 minutes) rhythms that govern our ability to focus, including how to track when these 90-minute rhythms begin and end for the sake of work and productivity. I include ten tools based on the science of time perception that you can apply to enhance productivity, creativity, and relationships in various contexts. 

Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.

AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab

Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman

Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman

00:00:00 Introducing Time Perception, Note on Fasting & Supplements  

00:05:28 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up

00:09:25 Entrainment, Circannual Entrainment, Melatonin  

00:13:20 Seasonal Oscillations in Testosterone & Estrogen, Tool 1  

00:16:06 Circadian Timing, Tools 1, 2, 3 (for Circadian Entrainment)  

00:21:13 Tool 4: Timing Physical Activity; Tool 5: Timing Eating Window  

00:23:00 When Circadian Entrainment Is Disrupted, Time Perception Suffers  

00:25:00 Tool 6: Ultradian (90min) Cycles & Focus  

00:31:42 Our Sense of the Passage of Time: Present, Prospective, Retrospective  

00:34:40 Dopamine (& Nor/epinephrine) Lead to Time Overestimation; Frame Rate  

00:37:18 Serotonin & Time Underestimation; Decreased Frame Rate  

00:39:10 Dopamine vs. Serotonin Across the Day; Tool 7: When to Do Rigid vs. Creative Work  

00:42:38 Example of Tool 7  

00:43:38 How Sleep Deprivation Degrades Performance  

00:44:38 Trauma, “Over-clocking” & Memories; Adjusting Rates of Experience  

00:50:04 Why Trauma Involves Dopamine & Epinephrine, Arousal  

00:51:03 Dopamine, Spontaneous Blinking & Time Perception; Tool 8  

00:53:38 Deliberate Cold Exposure, Dopamine, Tool 9: Adjusting Frame Rate in Discomfort  

00:56:30 Fun “Feels Fast” BUT Is Remembered as Slow; Boring Stuff “Feels Slow,” Recall as Fast  

01:00:54 Retrospective Time, Context Variation & Enhanced Bonding with Places & People  

01:03:00 Dopamine Release Resets the Start of Each Time Bin on Our Experience  

01:07:40 Habits & Time Perception; Tool 10 (Setting Functional Units of Each Day)  

01:11:58 Synthesis & Book Suggestion (Your Brain Is a Time Machine by D. Buonomano)  

01:12:27 Supporting the HLP: Subscribe, Instagram, Supplements  

Disclaimer & Disclosures

In this episode, I talk to Dr. Duncan French, Ph.D., the Vice President of Performance at the UFC Performance Institute and a world-class performance specialist. We discuss specific resistance (weight) training regimens for increasing testosterone in men and women and how to vary mechanical loads and rest between sets and workouts to optimize hormone output and training results. We also discuss how stress-induced "catecholamines" can increase testosterone or decrease it, depending on duration and mindset. And we discuss specific cold- and heat- therapies for increasing resilience, reducing inflammation, heat shock proteins and more. We discuss nutrition for training and how to match nutrition to training goals and metabolic flexibility. We discuss mental focus and how long to train for skill development. Finally, we discuss how mixed martial arts and the UFC Performance Institute are a template for exploring human performance more generally. This episode is intended for anyone interested in athletic and mental performance: athletes, students, and recreational exercisers and includes both science and many practical tools people can apply in their own training. 

Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.

AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab

Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman

Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman

00:00:00 Dr. Duncan French  

00:02:44 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up

00:05:44 Duncan’s Background in Exercise Science  

00:11:45 How Certain Exercises Increase Testosterone  

00:16:22 What Kind of Training Increases Testosterone & Growth Hormone?  

00:20:19 Intensity: Mechanical Load; Volume: Metabolic Load; Inter-set Rest Periods  

00:25:25 Training Frequency & Combining Workout Goals  

00:29:35 How Stress Can Increase or Decrease Testosterone  

00:36:55 Using Cold Exposure for Mindset, Anti-Inflammation, Muscle-Growth  

00:46:55 Skill Development  

00:50:05 Why Hard Exercise Creates Brain Fog: Role of Nutrition  

00:53:55 Low-Carbohydrate Versus All-Macronutrient Diets on Performance  

00:56:15 Ketones & Brain Energy, Offsetting Brain Injury; Spiking Glucose During Ketosis  

00:59:13 Metabolic Efficiency, Matching Nutrition to Training, “Needs Based Eating”  

01:05:00 Duncan’s Work with Olympic Athletes, NCAA, UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship)  

01:08:00 Why UFC & MMA (Mixed-Martial Arts) Are So Valuable for Advancing Performance  

01:12:40 Voluntarily Switching Between Different States of Arousal  

01:14:30 Heat, Getting Better at Sweating, Heat Shock Proteins, Sauna  

01:20:12 Using Rotating 12-Week Training Programs; Logging Objective & Subjective Data  

01:24:07 Surprising & Unknown Aspects of The UFC and UFC Performance Institute  

01:27:45 Conclusions, Zero-Cost Support, Sponsors, Supplements, Instagram  

Disclaimer & Disclosures

This episode teaches you a lot about the immune system, immune-brain interactions and offers 12 potential tools for enhancing immune system function. I discuss how our immune system works and science-supported tools we can use to enhance our immune system.

I discuss the innate and adaptive immune systems and our various microbiomes-- not just in our gut but also in our nose, eyes and mouth and how to keep them healthy. And I review how specific patterns of breathing and foods maintain a healthy mucosal barrier that is crucial for fighting infections. I discuss how certain neurochemicals called catecholamines enhance our immune system function and how to use specific breathing protocols, types and timing of heat and cold exposure, and, if appropriate, supplementation to activate catecholamines. I also discuss the role and use of serotonin for the sake of accessing the specific types of sleep for recovering from illness, and I discuss how to increase glymphatic "washout" of brain debris during sleep. I also review fever, the vagus nerve and the use of atypical yet highly effective compounds for rhinitis (nasal inflammation).

Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.

AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab

Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman

Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman

00:00:00 The Mind & Immune System, New Findings: Acupuncture & Fascia  

00:03:16 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up

00:07:41 Foundational Tools & Practices for a Healthy Immune System  

00:11:20 Immune System Basics: Skin/Mucous, Innate & Adaptive Immune System  

00:17:08 Killer Cells, Complement Proteins (“Eat Me!” Signals), Cytokines (“Help Me!” Signals)  

00:21:06 The Adaptive Immune System: Antibodies  

00:28:00 Tool 1: Nasal Microbiome and “Scrubbing” Bacteria & Viruses; Nasal Breathing  

00:30:33 Tools 2 & 3: (Not) Touching Your Eyes; Gut Microbiome & Fermented Foods  

00:34:20 Some Interleukins Are Anti-Inflammatory  

00:34:56 Sickness Behavior  

00:39:08 Some People Seek Care When Sick, Others Want to be Alone  

00:42:00 Sickness Behavior & Depression: Cytokines  

00:43:40 Reduced Appetites When Sick: Protein, Iron, Libido  

00:46:45 Vagus-Nerve Stimulation: Fever, Photophobia, Sleepiness  

00:53:03 Humoral (Blood-Borne) Factors, & Choroid Change Your Brain State  

00:55:04 Tools 4, 5: Reducing Sickness: Glymphatic Clearance, Pre-Sleep Serotonin, 5HTP  

01:07:03 Tool 6: Hot Showers, Saunas, Baths & Cortisol, Heat-Cold Contrast  

01:10:53 Feed a Fever & Starve a Cold (?), Adrenaline  

01:12:36 Tool 7: Activating Your Immune System w/Cyclic-Hyperventilation, Alkalinity  

01:29:10 Brain Chemicals & Cyclic-Hyperventilation; Catecholamines, Dopamine  

01:32:10 Mindsets & Immune Function; Yes, You Can Worry Yourself Sick  

01:37:00 Tool 8: Healthy Mindsets, Hope, Dopamine; Tool 9: Tyrosine; Tool 10: Cold Exposure  

01:42:05 Once You’re Already Sick: Accelerating Recovery; Tool 11: Spirulina, Rhinitis  

01:46:09 Histamines, Mast Cells  

01:49:22 Tool 12: Acupuncture: Mechanism for How It Reduces Inflammation; Fascia, Rolfing  

01:53:40 Mechanistic Science & Ancient Practices  

01:58:00 Synthesis, Ways to Support Us (Zero-Cost), Sponsors, Supplements, Social Media  

Disclaimer & Disclosures

In this episode, I host Dr. Samer Hattar, Ph.D., Chief of the Section on Light and Circadian Rhythms at the National Institute of Mental Health. Dr. Hattar is a world-renowned expert on how viewing light at particular times adjusts our mood, ability to learn, stress and hormone levels, appetite, and mental health. We discuss how to determine and use your individual light sensitivity to determine the optimal sleep-wake cycle for you. We also discuss how to combine your light viewing and waking time with the timing of your food intake and exercise in order to maximize mental and physical functioning. Dr. Hattar is credited with co-discovering the neurons in the eye that set our circadian clocks and regulate mood and appetite. He explains why even a small shift in daylight savings leads to outsized effects on our biking because of the way that our cells and circadian clocks integrate across many days. And he offers precise tools to rapidly adjust to jet lag, shift work, and reset your clock after a late night of work or socializing. This episode is filled with cutting-edge data on the biological mechanisms of human physiology and practical tools for people of all ages. 

Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.

AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab

Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman

Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman

00:00:00 Introducing Dr. Samer Hattar, Ph.D.  

00:02:33 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up

00:06:15 Light, Circadian (24-hour) & Circannual (365-day) “Photoentrainment”  

00:14:30 Neurons in Our Eyes That Set Our Body Clocks: Similar to Frog Skin  

00:18:55 What Blind People See  

00:20:15 When, How & How Long to View Light for Optimal Sleep & Wakefulness  

00:30:20 Sunlight Simulators, Afternoon Light Viewing, Naps  

00:33:48 Are You Jet Lagged at Home? Chronotypes & Why Early Risers Succeed  

00:38:33 How to Decide Your Best Sleep-Wake Schedule; Minimal Light Test  

00:42:16 Viewing Light in Middle of Day: Mood & “Light Hunger”  

00:44:55 Evening Sunlight; Blueblocker Warning  

00:48:57 Blue Light Is Not the Issue; Samer’s Cave; Complete Darkness  

00:53:58 Screens at Night  

00:56:03 Dangers of Bright Light Between 10 pm and 4 am: Mood & Learning  

01:01:05 The Tripartite Model: Circadian, Sleep Drive, Feeding Schedules  

01:05:05 Using Light to Enhance Your Mood; & The Hattar-Hernandez Nucleus  

01:07:19 Why Do We Sleep?  

01:08:17 Effects of Light on Appetite; Regular Light & Meal Times  

01:18:08 Samer’s Experience with Adjusting Meal Timing  

01:22:51 Using Light to Align Sleep, Mood, Feeding, Exercise & Cognition  

01:30:15 Age-Related Changes in Timing of Mental & Physical Vigor  

01:31:44 “Chrono-Attraction” in Relationships; Social-Rhythms  

01:33:40 Re-setting Our Clock Schedule; Screen Devices Revisited  

01:37:50 How Samer Got into the Study of Light  

01:39:33 Clock Gene mRNAs & More Accurate Biomarkers  

01:41:08 Light as Medicine  

01:42:48 ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)  

01:43:35 How to Beat Jet Lag: Light, Temperature, Eating  

01:50:44 Vigor: The Consequence of Proper Timing  

01:52:15 Waking in the Middle of the Night: When Your Nightly Sleep Becomes a Nap  

01:54:10 Melatonin, Pineal Calcification  

01:55:25 Our Seasonal Rhythms: Mood, Depression, Lethargy & Reproduction  

01:59:08 Daylight Savings: Much Worse Than It Might Seem  

02:05:27 Eye Color & Sensitivity to Light, Bipolar Disorder  

02:09:28 Spicy Food, Genetic Variations in Sensory Sensitivity  

02:10:52 Synthesizing This Information, Samer on Twitter, Instagram  

02:13:00 Conclusions, Ways To Support the Huberman Lab Podcast & Research  

Disclaimer & Disclosures

This episode I describe science-supported nutrients for brain and performance (cognition) and for nervous system health generally.

I describe 10 tools for this purpose, including specific amounts and sources for Omega-3 fatty acids which make up the "structural fat" of neurons (nerve cells) and allow them to function across our lifespan. I also review data on creatine, phosphatidylserine, anthocyanins, choline, glutamine and how they each impact brain function in healthy people seeking to reinforce and improve their cognition and in those combatting cognitive decline. I describe both food-based and supplement-based sources for these compounds, and their effective dose ranges based on peer-reviewed literature.

Then I review the 3 factors: gut-brain signaling, perceived taste, and learned associations that combine with the metabolic and blood-sugar-elevating effects of food to determine what foods we seek and prefer. Amazingly, it's not just about what tastes good to us. Next, I explore how we can leverage the neural circuits of learned food preference toward seeking and enjoying the right foods for brain health and performance. I also review new data on non-caloric sweeteners and why consuming them with glucose-elevating foods can be detrimental, in some cases rapidly leading to insulin dysregulation. This episode covers more than 10 actionable tools for those seeking to improve and/or maintain brain function, and it explains modern neuroscience underlying of our sense of taste, our food seeking preferences and brain metabolism.

Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.

AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab

Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman

Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman

00:00:00 Food & Brain Function Introduction  

00:02:08 Summary: Critical Aspects of Time Restricted Feeding/Fasting  

00:04:36 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up

00:08:24 Neuroplasticity Super Protocol (Zero-Cost Tools) Online  

00:09:22 Eating to Enhance Brain Function & Foundational Aspects of Brain Health  

00:13:00 Eating Fats for Brain Health, EFAs Phospholipids (Tool 1: 1-3g EPA Omega-3/day)  

00:20:35 Phosphatidylserine (Tool 2: 300mg/day)  

00:22:15 Choline, Egg Yolks (Tool 3: 1-2g/day Threshold)  

00:28:26 Hydration & Electrolytes (Tool 4)  

00:29:50 Liquid Fish Oil/Capsules (2-3g EPA per day; 300mg Alpha GPC 2-4X/week)  

00:32:22 Creatine for Cognition (Tool 5: 5g/day)  

00:36:28 Anthocyanins, Dark Skin Berries (Tool 6: 10mg/day (Extract), 1-2 cups Berries)  

00:41:19 L-Glutamine (Tool: 1-10g/day) & Offsetting Apnea & Inflammation  

00:49:23 Neural Basis of Food Preference, Yum, Yuck, Meh; Taste, Guts, & Beliefs  

00:55:25 Taste is 100% In Your Head  

00:59:50 Gut Neurons Controlling Food Preference: Neuropod Cells; (Tool 7: Fermented Foods)  

01:06:14 Capsule Probiotics, Brain Fog  

01:07:16 Learning to Like Specific Tastes: Sweetness & Brain Metabolism  

01:12:11 Hard-Wiring & Soft-Wiring  

01:13:25 Artificial & Non-Caloric Sweeteners: Safe or Harmful Depends on (Glucose) Context  

01:18:15 Non-Caloric Sweetener & Insulin; (Tool 8: Don’t Have w/Glucose Elevating Foods)  

01:22:17 Beliefs & Thoughts; The Insula; (Tool 9: Pairing-Based Reshaping Food Preferences)  

01:30:42 Liking Neuro-Healthy Foods & Bettering Brain Metabolism (Tool 10); Food Wars  

01:36:05 Food Reward & Diabetes, Obesity; Important Review Article (See Caption)  

01:38:28 Synthesis, Zero-Cost Support, Future Topic Suggestions, Sponsors, Supplements  

Disclaimer & Disclosures

This episode I discuss the science and practice of fasting also called time-restricted feeding. I review the data on how limiting food intake to specific portions of every 24-hour cycle (or fasting longer) impacts weight loss, fat loss specifically, liver health, mental focus, muscle, longevity and more. I explain how "fasted" is contextual, and relates to blood glucose levels and their downstream effects, and how the depth of fasting can be adjusted with behaviors such as different types of exercise, or with glucose disposal agents. I also discuss the optimal fasting protocol: and both the absolute (non-negotiable) and variable (contextual) features of a fasting/time-restricted-feeding protocol that will allow you to get the most benefits. I also discuss what does and does not break a fast, the effects of fasting on hormones like testosterone and cortisol and on fertility. I also review how different feeding windows of 8 or 10 or 4 hours differentially impact the effects of fasting, and why the classic 8 hour feeding window came to be but also might be ideal. I discuss mechanisms and offer tools to discern the optimal fasting duration and timing for you. 

Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.

AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab

Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman

Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman

00:00:00 Introduction, Blood Glucose & Mortality, Mice Vs. Humans  

00:06:18 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up

00:09:42 Neuroplasticity Protocols & Online Lecture  

00:11:20 Feeding, Fasting, Performance  

00:13:50 Calories-In, Calories-Out (CICO); Perfect Diets  

00:19:48 Feeding-Induced Health Conditions  

00:25:33 Time Restricted Eating: When We Eat Is Vital  

00:29:45 The Eight Hour Feeding Window  

00:31:26 Feeding Deep Into the Night Is Bad (In Humans)  

00:36:33 Liver Health  

00:39:45 Time Restricted Feeding Protocol: Rules  

00:41:35 When to Start & Stop Eating  

00:45:38 Gastric Clearance, Linking Fasting to Sleep  

00:52:35 Effects of Specific Categories of Food  

00:55:40 Precision In Fasting: Protocol Build  

00:59:30 4-6 Hour Feeding Windows  

01:03:08 Protein Consumption & Timing for Muscle  

01:08:13 How to Shift Your Eating Window  

01:13:20 Glucose Clearing, Exercise & Compounds  

01:22:37 Blood Glucose: Monitoring, mTOR & Related Pathways  

01:27:40 Gut Health: Fasting, Clock Genes and Microbiota  

01:29:15 Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver  

01:32:00 Effects of Fasting on Hormones: Testosterone, Cortisol  

01:38:40 Fertility  

01:41:50 8-Hour Feeding Window: Weight Loss Without Calorie Counting  

01:43:20 Eating Every-Other-Day  

01:45:29 Adherence  

01:47:15 Mental Focus & Clarity  

01:49:12 Enhancing Weight Loss from Body Fat: Hepatic Lipase  

01:53:15 What Breaks a Fast? Rules & Context  

01:58:50 Artificial Sweeteners, Plant-Based Sweeteners  

02:01:42 Glucose Clearing II, Cinnamon, Acidity, Salt  

02:06:42 My Circadian Clock, Zero-App  

02:08:20 Odd (But Common) Questions  

02:09:23 Effects of Sauna & Dehydration on Blood Glucose  

02:11:12 The Ideal Fasting Protocol  

02:24:00 More Resources, Ways to Support Us, Supplements  

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