How Smell, Taste & Pheromone-Like Chemicals Control You

This episode I explain how we sense chemicals by way of smell, taste and pheromones. How things smell and taste and bodily chemicals 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. I explain how smell and taste reflect brain health and can be used to assess and even promote brain regeneration. Both basic science and protocols are described including how to make sour things taste sweet and how to develop a heightened sense of smell and taste. Thank you to our sponsors: ROKA - https://www.roka.com - code: huberman InsideTracker - https://www.insidetracker.com/huberman Athletic Greens - https://www.athleticgreens.com/huberman Our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/andrewhuberman Supplements from Thorne: http://www.thorne.com/u/huberman Social: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Twitter - https://twitter.com/hubermanlab Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab Website: https://hubermanlab.com Links: 1. What Is Color? By Arielle & Joann Eckstut https://www.amazon.com/What-Color-Questions-Answers-Science/dp/1419734512 2. The smell of tears lowers testosterone DOI: 10.1126/science.1198331 3. Inhaling (sniffing) improves non olfactory attention & cognition: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31089297/ 4. Smelling Salts & Improved Athletic Performance https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28922211/ 5. Taste Receptors Are Expressed By Ovaries & Testes doi:10.1093/molehr/gat009 Timestamps: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:06:02 Sensing Chemicals: Smell, Taste & Chemicals That People Make To Control Each Other 00:09:10 Vision Protocols Recap (Brief) & Correction 00:12:20 Color Vision: Excellent Resource: What is Color? (The Book) 00:13:54 How We Sense Chemicals: Enter Our Nose, Mouth, Eyes, Skin 00:17:28 The Chemicals From Other People’s Tears Lower Testosterone & Libido 00:21:16 SMELL: Sniffing, A Piece of Your Brain In Your Nose, 3 Responses To Smells 00:24:40 Smells & Memory: Why They Are So Powerfully Associated 00:26:40 Pheromone Effects: Spontaneous Miscarriage, Males & Timing Female Puberty 00:28:56 Sniffing Creates Alertness & If Done Properly Can Help You Focus & Learn Better 00:34:00 Protocol 1: Sniffing (Nothing) 10-15X Enhances Your Ability to Smell & Taste 00:35:50 Smelling Salts, Ammonia & Adrenaline 00:38:25 How You Can Become A Human Scent Hound, Detecting Cancer, & Tasting Better 00:43:45 Smell As A Readout Of Brain Health & Longevity; Regaining Lost Sense Of Smell 00:48:30 Dopamine, Sense Of Smell, New Neurons & New Relationships 00:50:20 Why Brain Injury Causes Loss Of Smell; Using Smell To Gauge & Speed Recovery 00:53:33 Using Smell To Immediately Becoming Physically Stronger 00:54:40 Smelling In Our Dreams, Active Sniffing In Sleep, Sniffing As a Sign Of Consciousness 00:57:35 Mint Scents Create Alertness By Activating Broad Wake-Up Pathways 00:59:48 Protocol 2 Pleasant Or Putrid: The Microwave Popcorn Test, Cilantro, Asparagus, Musk 01:03:00 Skunks, Costello, All Quiet On The Western Front 01:04:32 TASTE: Sweet, Salty, Bitter, Umami, Sour; Your Tongue, Gustatory Nerve, NST, Cortex 01:08:45 Energy, Electrolytes, Poisons, Gagging, Amino Acid & Fatty Acid Sensing, Fermentation 01:13:48 Our 6th Sense of Taste: FAT Sensing 01:15:05 Gut-Brain: Your Mouth As An Extension Of Your Gut; Burned Mouth & Regeneration 01:19:30 Protocol 3: Learn To Be A Super-Taster By Top-Down Behavioral Plasticity 01:22:20 The Umami-Sweet Distinction: Tigers Versus Pandas 01:25:05 Eating More Plants Versus Eating More Meat, Cravings & Desire 01:27:15 Food That Makes You Feel Good Or Bad: Taste Receptors On Our Testes Or Ovaries 01:30:05 Biological Basis For The Sensuality of Umami and Sweet Foods 01:32:28 Appetitive & Aversive Sensing: Touching Certain Surfaces, Tasting Certain Foods 01:33:35 Amino Acids Are Key To Life, The Maillard Reaction, Smell-Taste Merge, Food Texture 01:39:00 How Processed Food Make You Crave More Processed Foods 01:39:44 Protocol 4: Invert Your Sense of Sweet & Sour: Miracle Fruit; Swapping Bitter & Sweet 01:43:03 Pheromones, Desire To Continue Mating: Coolidge Effect Occurs In Males & Females 01:46:40 Do Women Influence Each Others Menstrual Cycles? 01:49:19 Recognizing the Smell Of Your Romantic Partner 01:50:30 Differences In Odor Detection Ability, Effects Of Hormones 01:53:00 We Rub The Chemicals Of Others On Our Eyes and Skin, Bunting Behavior 01:56:40 Summary Please note that The Huberman Lab Podcast is distinct from Dr. Huberman's teaching and research roles at Stanford University School of Medicine. The information provided in this show is not medical advice, nor should it be taken or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The Huberman Lab Podcast, its employees, guests and affiliates assume no liability for the application of the information discussed. Photo Credit: Mike Blabac - https://www.blabacphoto.com

Andrew Hubermanhost

Jun 21, 20211h 59mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: June 21, 2021
Duration: 1h 59m
Channel: Huberman Lab
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

This episode I explain how we sense chemicals by way of smell, taste and pheromones. How things smell and taste and bodily chemicals 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. I explain how smell and taste reflect brain health and can be used to assess and even promote brain regeneration. Both basic science and protocols are described including how to make sour things taste sweet and how to develop a heightened sense of smell and taste. Thank you to our sponsors: ROKA - https://www.roka.com - code: huberman InsideTracker - https://www.insidetracker.com/huberman Athletic Greens - https://www.athleticgreens.com/huberman Our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/andrewhuberman Supplements from Thorne: http://www.thorne.com/u/huberman Social: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Twitter - https://twitter.com/hubermanlab Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab Website: https://hubermanlab.com Links:
1. What Is Color? By Arielle & Joann Eckstut https://www.amazon.com/What-Color-Questions-Answers-Science/dp/1419734512
1. The smell of tears lowers testosterone DOI: 10.1126/science.1198331
1. Inhaling (sniffing) improves non olfactory attention & cognition: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31089297/
1. Smelling Salts & Improved Athletic Performance https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28922211/
1. Taste Receptors Are Expressed By Ovaries & Testes doi:10.1093/molehr/gat009 Timestamps: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:06:02 Sensing Chemicals: Smell, Taste & Chemicals That People Make To Control Each Other 00:09:10 Vision Protocols Recap (Brief) & Correction 00:12:20 Color Vision: Excellent Resource: What is Color? (The Book) 00:13:54 How We Sense Chemicals: Enter Our Nose, Mouth, Eyes, Skin 00:17:28 The Chemicals From Other People’s Tears Lower Testosterone & Libido 00:21:16 SMELL: Sniffing, A Piece of Your Brain In Your Nose, 3 Responses To Smells 00:24:40 Smells & Memory: Why They Are So Powerfully Associated 00:26:40 Pheromone Effects: Spontaneous Miscarriage, Males & Timing Female Puberty 00:28:56 Sniffing Creates Alertness & If Done Properly Can Help You Focus & Learn Better 00:34:00 Protocol 1: Sniffing (Nothing) 10-15X Enhances Your Ability to Smell & Taste 00:35:50 Smelling Salts, Ammonia & Adrenaline 00:38:25 How You Can Become A Human Scent Hound, Detecting Cancer, & Tasting Better 00:43:45 Smell As A Readout Of Brain Health & Longevity; Regaining Lost Sense Of Smell 00:48:30 Dopamine, Sense Of Smell, New Neurons & New Relationships 00:50:20 Why Brain Injury Causes Loss Of Smell; Using Smell To Gauge & Speed Recovery 00:53:33 Using Smell To Immediately Becoming Physically Stronger 00:54:40 Smelling In Our Dreams, Active Sniffing In Sleep, Sniffing As a Sign Of Consciousness 00:57:35 Mint Scents Create Alertness By Activating Broad Wake-Up Pathways 00:59:48 Protocol 2 Pleasant Or Putrid: The Microwave Popcorn Test, Cilantro, Asparagus, Musk 01:03:00 Skunks, Costello, All Quiet On The Western Front 01:04:32 TASTE: Sweet, Salty, Bitter, Umami, Sour; Your Tongue, Gustatory Nerve, NST, Cortex 01:08:45 Energy, Electrolytes, Poisons, Gagging, Amino Acid & Fatty Acid Sensing, Fermentation 01:13:48 Our 6th Sense of Taste: FAT Sensing 01:15:05 Gut-Brain: Your Mouth As An Extension Of Your Gut; Burned Mouth & Regeneration 01:19:30 Protocol 3: Learn To Be A Super-Taster By Top-Down Behavioral Plasticity 01:22:20 The Umami-Sweet Distinction: Tigers Versus Pandas 01:25:05 Eating More Plants Versus Eating More Meat, Cravings & Desire 01:27:15 Food That Makes You Feel Good Or Bad: Taste Receptors On Our Testes Or Ovaries 01:30:05 Biological Basis For The Sensuality of Umami and Sweet Foods 01:32:28 Appetitive & Aversive Sensing: Touching Certain Surfaces, Tasting Certain Foods 01:33:35 Amino Acids Are Key To Life, The Maillard Reaction, Smell-Taste Merge, Food Texture 01:39:00 How Processed Food Make You Crave More Processed Foods 01:39:44 Protocol 4: Invert Your Sense of Sweet & Sour: Miracle Fruit; Swapping Bitter & Sweet 01:43:03 Pheromones, Desire To Continue Mating: Coolidge Effect Occurs In Males & Females 01:46:40 Do Women Influence Each Others Menstrual Cycles? 01:49:19 Recognizing the Smell Of Your Romantic Partner 01:50:30 Differences In Odor Detection Ability, Effects Of Hormones 01:53:00 We Rub The Chemicals Of Others On Our Eyes and Skin, Bunting Behavior 01:56:40 Summary Please note that The Huberman Lab Podcast is distinct from Dr. Huberman's teaching and research roles at Stanford University School of Medicine. The information provided in this show is not medical advice, nor should it be taken or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The Huberman Lab Podcast, its employees, guests and affiliates assume no liability for the application of the information discussed. Photo Credit: Mike Blabac - https://www.blabacphoto.com

SPEAKERS

Andrew Huberman
host

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Huberman Lab, featuring Andrew Huberman, How Smell, Taste & Pheromone-Like Chemicals Control You explores how Smell and Taste Quietly Rewire Your Brain, Hormones, Behavior Daily Andrew Huberman explains how smell, taste, and pheromone‑like chemicals shape our brain states, hormones, and behaviors, often outside conscious awareness. He details the neurobiology of olfaction and taste, including how inhalation itself heightens alertness, learning, and memory. The episode outlines how chemical cues from food and other people influence attraction, appetite, metabolic health, and even reproductive biology. Huberman also offers practical tools to improve smell and taste sensitivity, support recovery after brain injury, and leverage these systems to enhance cognition and decision‑making around food and relationships.

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