My guest this episode is Dr. Charles Zuker, PhD, 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, emotions and expectation. We 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 an up-to-date list of our current sponsors, please visit our website: https://www.hubermanlab.com/sponsors. Previous sponsors mentioned in this podcast episode may no longer be affiliated with us. Social & Website Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Twitter - https://twitter.com/hubermanlab Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@hubermanlab Website - https://hubermanlab.com Newsletter - https://hubermanlab.com/neural-network Subscribe to the Huberman Lab Podcast Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3thCToZ Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3PYzuFs Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3amI809 Other platforms: https://hubermanlab.com/follow Dr. Charles Zuker Columbia Zuckerman Institute: https://zuckermaninstitute.columbia.edu/charles-s-zuker-phd Lab website: https://www.zukerlab.com Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) profile: https://www.hhmi.org/scientists/charles-s-zuker The Huberman Lab Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast is at the user’s own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions. Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac - https://www.blabacphoto.com