Understanding & Conquering Depression
This episode, I explain what major depression is at the biological and psychological level and the various treatments that peer-reviewed studies have revealed can help prevent and treat depression. I explain the three major chemical systems that are altered in depression: norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine. I discuss genetic predispositions to depression and how stress, thyroid hormone and cortisol play a role in many forms of depression. I also discuss inflammation as a common feature of many depression symptoms. I review 8 specific science-supported protocols for treating and avoiding depression, including EPA fatty acids (which have been shown to rival certain prescription treatments), how exercise protects against depression, studies of creatine, adjusting dopamine balance and more. I also discuss the results of ongoing clinical trials for ketamine and psilocybin for depression, how these compounds work and finally, I review how ketogenic diets can help in certain cases of depression, especially treatment-resistant major depression. Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps 00:00:00 Mood Disorders & Maintaining Mental Health (Protocol 1) 00:07:25 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up 00:11:15 Major Depression 00:18:40 “Anti-Self” Confabulation 00:21:42 Autonomic (Vegetative) Symptoms of Depression 00:26:58 Norepinephrine, Dopamine & Serotonin 00:31:50 SSRIs (Prozac, Zoloft, etc.): Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors 00:37:00 Epinephrine/Motor Functions, Dopamine/Motivation & Craving, Serotonin/Emotions 00:39:33 Physical & Emotional Pain are Linked: Substance P 00:41:50 Hormones & Depression: Thyroid & Cortisol 00:46:50 Genetic Susceptibility to Depression: Impact of Stress 00:50:50 Understanding Biological Mechanism Is Key: Recipes versus Skills 00:52:50 Tools for Dealing with Depression: Logic & Implementation (Protocol 2) 00:56:25 Brain Inflammation & Mental State: Cytokines, Prostaglandins, etc. 00:59:20 Protocol 3: Essential Fatty Acids (Omega-3, EPAs: Eicosapentaenoic Acid)* 01:02:50 How EPAs Help Offset Depression: Serotonin Synthesis, Kynurenine, Quinolinic Acid 01:05:25 Protocol 4: How Exercise Offsets Depression 01:11:44 Protocol 5: Creatine Monohydrate, Forebrain Function & NMDA Receptors* 01:20:30 Protocol 6*: Ketamine, PCP (*Prescription-Only), & NMDA-Receptor Function 01:33:08 Protocol 7*: Psychedelics (*In Clinical Trials) for Major Depression: Psilocybin* 01:47:00 Protocol 8: Ketogenic Diet, GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid) 01:54:50 Summary of Protocols Covered 02:00:10 Support & Additional Resources Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
23 Elo 20211h 59min
Understanding & Treating Addiction | Dr. Anna Lembke
This episode I interview Dr. Anna Lembke, M.D., Chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Lembke is a psychiatrist expert in treating addictions of all kinds: drugs, alcohol, food, sex, video games, gambling, food, medication, etc. Dr. Lembke is also an expert in the opioid crisis, and the author of Dopamine Nation. We discuss the biology and psychology of why people become addicted to certain substances and behaviors and the key role that our "dopamine balance" plays in creating addiction. We also discuss the science and practice of how to conquer addictions, why people relapse and how to avoid relapsing. Dr. Lembke also shares her expertise on topics closely related to addiction such as community, shame and lying and she explains why telling the truth—even about the most basic things in daily life, adjusts dopamine levels in our brain. This episode is an important one for anyone struggling with addictions of any kind, for their friends and families and for health care professionals. It is also for anyone who has defeated addiction and is determined to stay clean. Last but not least, it helps explain why all humans do what we do, and how we can all maintain a healthy sense of pleasure seeking in life. Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps 00:00:00 Dr. Anna Lembke, Addiction Expert 00:02:42 Disclaimer & Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up 00:07:00 Dopamine, Happiness & Impulsivity 00:15:56 What Is Pleasure? 00:18:20 Addiction, Boredom & Passion for Life 00:24:00 Pain-Pleasure Balance Controls Addiction 00:29:10 Dopamine Deficits, Anhedonia 00:30:47 Are All Addictions the Same? 00:35:38 Boredom & Anxiety Lead to Creativity 00:40:35 Finding Your Passion Starts with Boredom & Action Steps 00:50:05 How to Break an Addiction 00:55:25 Relapse, Craving & Triggers 01:07:40 Can People Get Addicted To “Sobriety”? 01:11:45 Are We All Wired for Addiction? 01:15:57 Bizarre Addiction 01:18:14 Recovered Addicts Are Heroes 01:20:10 Lying, Truth Telling, Guilt & Shame 01:30:40 Clinical Applications of: Ibogaine, Ayahuasca, Psilocybin & MDMA 01:40:20 Social Media Addiction 01:51:25 Narcissism 01:53:30 Goal Seeking, Success & Surprise 01:58:10 Reciprocity 02:01:15 Closing Comments, Resources Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
16 Elo 20211h 59min
How to Control Your Sense of Pain & Pleasure
This episode I discuss our sense of pain and pleasure: where and how they each arise in our mind and body and various ways to control their intensity. I discuss the science of behavioral tools like acupuncture and hypnosis and directed pressure, including the neural circuits they each activate to modulate our experience of pain or pleasure. I also discuss whole body pain, pain "syndromes" and novel pain relief compounds such as Acetyl-L-Carnitine, SAMe and Agmatine. I discuss neuroplasticity of the pain system and the key role that visual perception plays in pain modulation. Finally, I address the link between dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin, with arousal, pleasure and pain. As always, both basic science and various protocols are described. Note: The description of the dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) was intentionally simplified and does not include mention of dorsal horn spinal relay neurons, etc. For an excellent full text review of this anatomy and circuits for touch sensing, please see: https://bit.ly/3jH9CPf Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps 00:00:00 Skin, Pain, Pleasure 00:01:50 Protocol 1: Maximizing Motivation (with Dopamine & Pleasure) 00:07:29 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up 00:12:04 Pleasure & Pain, & Skin Sensors 00:18:13 Sensing Touch with Your Brain: Magnification of Feet, Hands, Lips, Face, Genitals 00:22:16 Two-Point Discrimination, Dermatomes 00:28:11 Thoughts & Genes That Make Physical Pain Worse 00:33:45 Expectations, Anxiety, & Pain Threshold 00:40:27 Protocol 2: Cold Sensing Is Relative; Getting Into Cold Water 00:45:22 Protocol 3: Heat Is Absolute 00:48:10 Injury & Pain 00:52:04 Protocol 4: Plasticity of Pain: Key Role of Vision 00:58:08 Sensing Disparate Body Parts As Merged 01:01:00 Pain “Syndromes”, Psychogenic Fever, “Psychosomatics” 01:04:40 Fibromyalgia, Naltrexone, Protocol 5: Acetyl-L-Carnitine 01:12:24 Protocol 6: Agmatine, S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe), L-5-Methyltetrahydrofolate 01:17:27 Acupuncture: Mechanism, Non-Responders, Itch & Inflammation 01:28:20 Laser Photobiomodulation, Protocol 7: Hypnosis (reveri.com) 01:30:00 Protocol 8: Pressure-Based Pain Relief, “Gate Theory of Pain (Relief)” 01:37:53 Redheads & Pain Thresholds, Endogenous Opioids 01:44:02 Protocol 8: Love & Pain, Dopamine 01:49:23 Pleasure & Reproduction, Dopamine & Serotonin, Oxytocin 01:51:40 Protocol 9: PEA, L-Phenylalanine (Precursor to Tyrosine) 01:55:40 Contextual Control of Pleasure by Autonomic Arousal, Dopamine Baselines 01:59:40 Pleasure-Pain Balance 02:01:24 Protocol 10: Controlling Pleasure, Dopamine & Motivation Over Time 02:06:40 Protocol 11: Immediate, Non-Goal-Directed Pleasure, PAG 02:08:40 Direction of Touch: Pleasure Versus Pain, Arousal & Touch “Sensitivity” 02:13:00 Synthesis & How to Conceptualize Pain and Pleasure, Support Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
9 Elo 20212h 12min
The Science & Practice of Perfecting Your Sleep | Dr. Matt Walker
In this episode, my guest is Dr. Matt Walker, Ph.D., Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology and the Founder & Director of the Center for Human Sleep Science at the University of California, Berkeley. He is also the author of the international best-selling book Why We Sleep and the host of "The Matt Walker Podcast." We discuss the biology of sleep, including its various stages and what specifically happens to those stages when we don't get enough sleep. We also discuss the effects of sunlight, caffeine, alcohol, naps, hormones, exercise, marijuana, sexual activity, and various supplements on sleep. The episode consists of both basic science information and many science-supported actionable tools. Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps 00:00:00 Introducing Dr. Matt Walker 00:02:16 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up 00:06:00 What Is Sleep? 00:10:20 REM (Rapid Eye Movement) aka 'Paradoxical Sleep' 00:16:15 Slow Wave Sleep aka 'Deep Sleep' 00:24:00 Compensating For Lost Sleep 00:32:20 Waking in the Middle Of The Night 00:39:48 Uberman (Not Huberman!) Sleep Schedule 00:42:48 Viewing Morning Sunlight 00:49:20 Caffeine 01:07:54 Alcohol 01:14:30 Growth Hormone & Testosterone 01:16:14 Emotions, Mental Health & Longevity 01:20:40 Books vs. Podcasts 01:21:20 Lunchtime Alcohol 01:25:00 Marijuana/CBD 01:36:00 Melatonin 01:54:14 Magnesium 01:58:10 Valerian, Kiwi, Tart Cherry, Apigenin 02:15:00 Tryptophan & Serotonin 02:19:24 Naps & Non-Sleep-Deep-Rest (NSDR) 02:28:23 Is It Possible To Get Too Much Sleep? 02:34:35 Sex, Orgasm, Masturbation, Oxytocin, Relationships 02:47:30 Unconventional Yet Powerful Sleep Tips 02:59:10 Connecting to & Learning More from Dr. Walker 03:04:42 The New Dr. Matt Walker Podcast, Reviews & Support Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2 Elo 20213h 3min
How to Optimize Your Brain-Body Function & Health
This episode I describe how the organs of the body influence the function and health of our brain and how our brain controls our bodily organs. The conscious awareness of this brain-body dialogue is called interoception. I describe how two factors- mechanical forces (e.g., pressure, pain, volume, etc.) and chemical factors (e.g., gut acidity, microbiome diversity, etc.) combine to influence our moods, control inflammation, immune system, recovery from injury and more. I explain how specific actions of our lungs, heart, spleen, and diaphragm, control our brain via the vagus nerve and other neural pathways. I describe 11 science-supported protocols for enhancing brain-body health and the logic behind them. Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps 00:00:00 Your Sense of Self: Interoception 00:01:25 Protocol 1: Fermented Foods, Not Fiber, to Reduce Inflammation 00:03:45 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up 00:08:22 Main Drivers of Feelings & Performance 00:11:45 Brain-Body: A Mechanical & Chemical Dialogue 00:17:50 LDB (Lung-Diaphragm-Brain) Dialogue 00:21:00 Protocols 2, 3, 4: Control Heart Rate With Breathing 00:29:08 Sensing Lung Pressure: Piezo Receptors 00:30:54 Carbon Dioxide, From Air to Blood 00:34:02 Protocol 5: Alert While Calm 00:40:50 Baroreceptors: Hering-Breuer Reflex 00:42:47 Gut Volume & The Desire to Open Your Mouth 00:48:18 Protocol 6: Enhancing Gut-To-Brain Communication, Fasting 00:51:50 Intestines, Fatty Acids, Amino Acids & Sugar 00:57:00 Protocol 7: Reducing Sugar Cravings with Specific Amino Acid Nutrients 00:58:58 Gut Acidity (Is Good) 01:02:20 Improving Nasal Microbiome 01:04:13 Inflammation & Microbiome: Fiber vs. Fermented 01:11:15 Protocol 8: Reducing Inflammation & Enhancing Brain Function w/Fermented Foods 01:13:10 Leaking Guts, Auto-Immune Function & Glutamine 01:15:50 Gut Acidity: HCl (hydrochloric acid), Pepsin 01:18:30 Probiotics & Brain Fog 01:21:45 Nausea: Happens in Your Brain; Area Postrema 01:28:25 Protocol 9: Reducing Nausea: Ginger, Peppermint, CBD, etc. 01:30:40 Fever: Triggers and Control Knobs: OVLT 01:37:00 Protocol 10: Cooling the Blood Properly 01:38:53 Sensing Feelings, Vagus Nerve, Stress 01:41:50 Mental Emotions Reflect Bodily Conditions 01:45:00 Sensing Other People’s Emotions via the Body 01:46:00 Protocol 11: Increasing Interoception, Sensing Heartbeat 01:50:40 Conclusions & Resources Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
26 Heinä 20211h 49min
Machines, Creativity & Love | Dr. Lex Fridman
Dr. Lex Fridman Ph.D., is a scientist at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), working on robotics, artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles and human-robot interactions. He is also the host of the Lex Fridman Podcast where he holds conversations with academics, entrepreneurs, athletes and creatives. Here we discuss humans, robots, and the capacity they hold for friendship and love. Dr. Fridman also shares with us his unique dream for a world where robots guide humans to be the best versions of themselves, and his efforts to make that dream a reality. Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps 00:00:00 Introduction: Lex Fridman 00:02:29 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up 00:07:35 What is Artificial Intelligence? 00:26:46 Machine & Human Learning 00:32:21 Curiosity 00:36:55 Story Telling Robots 00:40:48 What Defines a Robot? 00:44:30 Magic & Surprise 00:47:37 How Robots Change Us 00:49:35 Relationships Defined 01:02:29 Lex’s Dream for Humanity 01:11:33 Improving Social Media 01:16:57 Challenges of Creativity 01:21:49 Suits & Dresses 01:22:22 Loneliness 01:30:09 Empathy 01:35:12 Power Dynamics In Relationships 01:39:11 Robot Rights 01:40:20 Dogs: Homer & Costello 01:52:41 Friendship 01:59:47 Russians & Suffering 02:05:38 Public vs. Private Life 02:14:04 How To Treat a Robot 02:17:12 The Value of Friendship 02:20:33 Martial Arts 02:31:34 Body-Mind Interactions 02:33:22 Romantic Love 02:42:51 The Lex Fridman Podcast 02:55:54 The Hedgehog 03:01:17 Concluding Statements Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
19 Heinä 20213h
Maximizing Productivity, Physical & Mental Health with Daily Tools
In this episode, I discuss science-supported tools for enhancing focus, learning, creativity, sleep, physical strength and endurance and brain and body health. I explain each protocol in detail, the rationale behind it, and how the protocol can be adjusted depending on individual needs. I set these tools in the context of a 24-hour day as a way of framing how one might incorporate these tools and protocols into their own daily routine. Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps 00:00:00 Introduction: Protocols for sleep, mood, focus, exercise creativity 00:04:23 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up 00:08:50 Protocol 1: Record Your Daily Waking Time & Temperature Minimum 00:12:07 Protocol 2: Self-Generate Forward Motion (Outdoors) 00:17:00 Protocol 3: View Natural Light For 10-30min Every Morning 00:22:43 What To Do If You Can’t View The Sun: Blue Light 00:26:50 Protocol 4: Hydrate Correctly 00:28:00 Protocol 5: Delay Caffeine 90-120m After Waking 00:30:48 Protocol 6: Fast (or Fat-Fast) Until Noon 00:32:30 What Actually Breaks A Fast & What Doesn’t? 00:34:30 Fat Loss & Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 (GLP1), Yerba Mate, Guayusa Tea 00:37:30 Protocol 7: Optimize Deep Work: Visual Elevation, Ultradian Cycles, White Noise 00:48:30 Optimal Time of Day To Do Hard Mental Work 00:52:07 Protocol 8: Optimal Exercise; 3:2 Ratio 01:03:54 Tools for Training & Mental Focus: Fasting, Salt, Stimulants, Alpha-GPC 01:10:00 Protocol 9: Eat For Brain Function & Mood 01:17:39 Protocol 10: Get Your Testosterone & Estrogen In An Ideal Range 01:24:00 Protocol 11: Reset the Mind & Body, Enhance Neuroplasticity, Reveri.com 01:31:15 Protocol 12: Hydrate Correctly, Nap Rules 01:33:29 Protocol 13: View Late Afternoon/Evening Light To Support Sleep & Dopamine 01:39:00 Protocol 14: Eat Dinner That Promotes Serotonin, Calm Sleep 01:44:27 Protocol 15: Optimize Falling & Staying Asleep; Tools & Supplements That Work 01:55:00 Protocol 16: Preventing Middle of the Night Waking 01:59:10 Protocol 17: Weekends, Recovering From A Poor Nights Sleep 02:05:20 Neural Network, Supplement Sources, Sponsors Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
12 Heinä 20212h 4min
The Science of Hearing, Balance & Accelerated Learning
This episode I describe how our ears and nervous system decode sound waves and gravity to allow us to hear and make sense of sounds. I also describe protocols for rapid learning of sound and other types of information. I discuss sound localization, doppler effects (sound motion), pitch perception and how we isolate sounds in noisy environments. I also review the scientific findings on binaural beats and white noise and how they can improve learning. Other topics and protocols include tinnitus, sea sickness, ear movement, ear growth and the science-supported ways we can all accelerate learning using "gap effects". Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps 00:00:00 Overview of Topics 00:02:20 Protocol: New Data for Rapid Learning 00:09:10 Introduction: Hearing & Balance 00:09:30 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up 00:13:53 How We Perceive Sounds 00:21:56 Your Hearing Brain (Areas) 00:23:48 Localizing Sounds 00:28:00 Ear Movement: What It Means 00:33:00 Your Ears (Likely) Make Sounds: Role of Hormones, Sexual Orientation 00:35:30 Binaural Beats: Do They Work? 00:43:54 White Noise Can Enhance Learning & Dopamine 00:51:00 Headphones 00:55:51 White Noise During Development: Possibly Harmful 01:03:25 Remembering Information, & The Cocktail Party Effect 01:12:55 How to Learn Information You Hear 01:18:10 Doppler 01:22:43 Tinnitus: What Has Been Found To Help? 01:30:40 Aging: How Big Are Your Ears? 01:35:00 Balance: Semi-Circular Canals 01:40:35 A Vestibular Experiment 01:43:15 Improve Your Sense of Balance 01:48:55 Accelerating Balance 01:51:55 Self-Generated Forward Motion 01:56:25 Dizzy versus Light-Headed 01:58:38 Motion Sickness Solution 02:01:23 Synthesis Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
5 Heinä 20212h
