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.

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Timestamps

00:00:00 Huberman Lab Essentials; Smell & Taste

00:02:04 Tears, Biological Response & Communication

00:05:16 Sponsor: AG1

00:07:16 Smell, Innate vs Learned Response, Memory

00:10:31 Accessory Olfactory Pathway, Pheromones, Vandenbergh effect

00:12:42 Smell & Alertness, Smelling Salts, Tool: Nasal Breathing & Learning

00:16:06 Tool: Increase Sense of Smell

00:16:51 Sponsor: LMNT

00:18:07 Smell, Brain Health, Olfactory Neurons, Tool: Improve Smell

00:20:11 Traumatic Brain Injury & Olfactory Dysfunction

00:22:25 Smell, Alertness, Smelling Salts, Tool: Peppermint

00:24:32 Taste Modalities & Functions; Taste & Digestive System

00:30:47 Sponsor: Our Place

00:32:39 Pheromones, Coolidge Effect, Humans & Chemical Communication

00:38:44 Recap & Key Takeaways

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