Optimize & Control Your Brain Chemistry to Improve Health & Performance | Huberman Lab Podcast #80

In this episode, I explain the biological roles of the four major neuromodulators—dopamine, epinephrine (aka adrenaline), serotonin, and acetylcholine—and describe how these neuromodulators impact a wide variety of mental states and behaviors, including focus, creativity, motivation, drive, learning, alertness, mood, relationships, and feelings of well-being. Then, with that foundational understanding in mind, I describe a potent toolkit of science-supported behavioral, nutrition, and supplementation tools that can be used to increase baseline levels of individual neuromodulators and that can be modified for specific goals. This episode summarizes low-or-no-cost, actionable, science-based tools that can benefit anyone in order to enhance their levels of brain chemicals and improve mental health, physical health, and performance.

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Articles
Rapid and reversible control of human metabolism by individual sleep states: https://bit.ly/3RofUmU
Resetting the late timing of ‘night owls’ has a positive impact on mental health and performance: https://bit.ly/3uD54Qd
Skin exposure to UVB light induces a skin-brain-gonad axis and sexual behavior: https://bit.ly/3uGvOz5
The Role of Gene Encoding Variation of DRD4 in the Relationship between Inattention and Seasonal Daylight: https://bit.ly/3Ob154l
Caffeine increases striatal dopamine D2/D3 receptor availability in the human brain: https://go.nature.com/3c6AQi4
Human physiological responses to immersion into water of different temperatures: https://bit.ly/3IumXX1
The effect of Cissus quadrangularis (CQR-300) and a Cissus formulation (CORE) on obesity and obesity-induced oxidative stress: https://bit.ly/3AChHib

Other Resources:
The Darya Rose Show: Sunscreen & Sunprotection with Dr. Brian Diffey: https://bit.ly/3IqHuf0
Huberman Lab: Controlling Your Dopamine for Motivation Focus & Satisfaction: https://bit.ly/3IqQzVb
Huberman Lab: ADHD & How Anyone Can Improve Their Focus: https://bit.ly/3uDo4Oo
Huberman Lab: Using Deliberate Cold Exposure for Health & Performance: https://bit.ly/3AFfDGi
Huberman Lab: Tools for Managing Stress & Anxiety: https://bit.ly/3AzlRay

Timestamps
00:00:00 Optimizing Neurochemicals to Improve Health
00:03:40 Momentous Supplements
00:04:30 Sleep & Maintaining Healthy Metabolism
00:09:52 Tools: How to Wake Up Earlier, Night Owls
00:19:32 AG1 (Athletic Greens), Thesis, InsideTracker
00:22:05 Nervous System Overview
00:31:32 How Neuromodulators Work
00:34:24 Baseline Neuromodulator Levels, 3 Daily Phases
00:42:15 Hormones Modulate Neuromodulators
00:52:12 The 4 Major Types of Neuromodulators
01:01:45 Tool Kit 1: Increase Baseline Dopamine & Focus
01:08:52 Tyrosine-rich Foods & Dopamine
01:10:59 Dopamine Supplementation: Mucuna Pruriens, L-tyrosine & Phenylethylamine
01:16:00 Deliberate Cold Exposure & Dopamine
01:21:12 Tool Kit 2: Additional Tips to Increase Dopamine
01:26:10 Tool Kit 3: Increase Epinephrine (Adrenaline) & Alertness
01:34:34 Tool Kit 4: Increase Acetylcholine & Attention/Learning; Choline-rich Foods
01:37:29 Acetylcholine Supplements: Nicotine, Alpha GPC, Huperzine
01:44:47 Tool Kit 5: Behavior to Increase Focus & Acetylcholine
01:46:56 Tool Kit 6: Behavior to Increase Serotonin & Feelings of Well-being
01:50:51 Tools: Tryptophan-Rich Foods & Serotonin
01:53:31 Tools: Serotonin Supplements: Cissus Quadrangularis, 5-HTP, Myo-inositol
02:02:14 Use the Neurochemical Toolkit to Meet Individual Goals
02:06:44 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Momentous Supplements, Instagram, Twitter, Neural Network Newsletter

The Huberman Lab Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast is at the user’s own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.

Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac – https://www.blabacphoto.com

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