This Huberman Lab Essentials episode focuses on the hormonal and neurological mechanisms governing hunger, appetite, and satiety. The podcast explains the roles of the hypothalamus and insular cortex in regulating food intake, and details the functions of hormones like ghrelin (stimulates hunger), MSH (reduces appetite), and CCK (reduces appetite, stimulated by fatty acids and amino acids). The speaker emphasizes the impact of meal timing and the consumption of processed foods (which contain emulsifiers that damage the gut lining and disrupt satiety signals) on appetite regulation. Listeners gain an understanding of how various hormones and brain regions interact to control hunger and satiety, and how dietary choices and lifestyle factors can influence these processes. For example, eating fiber before carbohydrates can blunt glucose spikes and promote earlier satiety.
