Essentials: How Smell, Taste & Pheromones Shape Behavior

In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, I explore how your sense of smell (olfaction), taste, and chemical sensing influence memory, alertness, focus, and even communication between people.I explain how these senses help us detect chemicals in the environment and respond to a variety of environmental cues. I discuss the connection between the olfactory system and cognitive performance, and I provide practical tools to enhance learning, sensory function, and brain health. Additionally, I examine how chemical signals exchanged between people subtly influence emotions, biology, and social bonds.Huberman Lab Essentials episodes are approximately 30 minutes long and focus on key science and protocol takeaways from past Huberman Lab episodes. Essentials are released every Thursday, while full-length episodes continue to air every Monday.Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com.Huberman Lab Essentials are short episodes focused on essential science and protocol takeaways from past full-length Huberman Lab episodes. Watch or listen to the full-length episode at ⁠⁠⁠hubermanlab.com⁠⁠⁠.Thank you to our sponsorsAG1: https://drinkag1.com/hubermanLMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanOur Place: https://fromourplace.com/hubermanTimestamps00:00:00 Huberman Lab Essentials; Smell & Taste00:02:04 Tears, Biological Response & Communication00:05:16 Sponsor: AG100:07:16 Smell, Innate vs Learned Response, Memory00:10:31 Accessory Olfactory Pathway, Pheromones, Vandenbergheffect00:12:42 Smell & Alertness, Smelling Salts, Tool: NasalBreathing & Learning00:16:06 Tool: Increase Sense of Smell00:16:51 Sponsor: LMNT00:18:07 Smell, Brain Health, Olfactory Neurons, Tool:Improve Smell00:20:11 Traumatic Brain Injury & Olfactory Dysfunction00:22:25 Smell, Alertness, Smelling Salts, Tool: Peppermint00:24:32 Taste Modalities & Functions; Taste &Digestive System00:30:47 Sponsor: Our Place00:32:39 Pheromones, Coolidge Effect, Humans & ChemicalCommunication00:38:44 Recap & Key TakeawaysDisclaimer & DisclosuresLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Huberman Lab podcast is hosted by Andrew Huberman, Ph.D., a neuroscientist and tenured professor in the department of neurobiology, and by courtesy, psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford School of Medicine. The podcast discusses neuroscience and science-based tools, including how our brain and its connections with the organs of our body control our perceptions, our behaviors, and our health, as well as existing and emerging tools for measuring and changing how our nervous system works.
Huberman has made numerous significant contributions to the fields of brain development, brain function, and neural plasticity, which is the ability of our nervous system to rewire and learn new behaviors, skills, and cognitive functioning. He is a McKnight Foundation and Pew Foundation Fellow and was awarded the Cogan Award, given to the scientist making the most significant discoveries in the study of vision, in 2017.
Work from the Huberman Laboratory at Stanford School of Medicine has been published in top journals, including Nature, Science, and Cell, and has been featured in TIME, BBC, Scientific American, Discover, and other top media outlets.
In 2021, Dr. Huberman launched the Huberman Lab podcast. The podcast is frequently ranked in the top 10 of all podcasts globally and is often ranked #1 in the categories of Science, Education, and Health & Fitness.

• No. of episodes: 309
• Latest episode: 2025-06-12
• Health & Fitness Science Life Sciences

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