How Our Hormones Control Our Hunger, Eating & Satiety

About this video

Huberman explains how hormones and peptides control hunger, eating, and satiety, including CCK and ghrelin, which signal to shut down or stimulate appetite. He devotes particular attention to highly processed foods and emulsifiers, which he explains are added to extend shelf life in foods from candy bars and cereals to chips and some meats, with names such as soy lecithin. Huberman argues that emulsifiers strip away the mucosal lining of the gut and cause the neurons innervating the gut to retract deeper, so signals like CCK that shut down hunger are never properly deployed, leading people to eat far more of those foods. He further argues that after eating highly processed foods, a person cannot measure amino acids, sugars, and fatty acids in other foods as accurately, though he says the micro-level structural damage can be repaired by staying away from such foods. Huberman also recommends a Stanford-hosted lecture by Dr. Robert Lustig on the history of whole foods transitioning to highly processed foods.

Key takeaways

• Huberman explains CCK and ghrelin as peptides that powerfully impact appetite and satiety.
• Huberman argues that emulsifiers in processed foods strip the gut’s mucosal lining.
• Huberman says damaged gut signaling prevents satiety signals like CCK from deploying properly.
• Huberman notes that the gut damage he describes can be repaired by avoiding those foods.
• Huberman recommends Dr. Robert Lustig’s lecture on the history of processed food.

Episode details: published April 19, 2021 · 1.4M views · 1:39:43 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. The science and protocols described are Andrew Huberman’s, presented for education — not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before changing your own health practices.

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