Dr. Charles Zuker: The Biology of Taste Perception & Sugar Craving

Taste system has a pre-determined identity and valence. But meaning is learned. Olfactory system is only learned and assigned meaning through experience. By association you can change the meaning.

Quality of sugar: most energy for the least amount of extraction. You want to habituate yourself to food that takes more work to minimize craving.

Taste can be assessed by quality and valence.

No doubt the taste system is involved in feeding us nutrients to sustain our lives - we're attracted to the nutrients we need and we're deterred from the ones we don't. Even if your brain doesn't get stimulated by water, certain parts of your brain get the entire behavioral stimulus.

Taste only triggers liking. This is why artificial sweeteners are not able to replace sugars, they only trigger liking but not the craving in the gut. They do not signal the brain that it doesn’t need to crave anymore.

The taste modalities ensure that we get enough of all macros. Sweet = carbs, umami = proteins, salt = electrolytes, bitter = avoid poisonous, sour = avoid spoiled food.

All organs are monitored by the brain via the vagus nerve.

A renowned medical professional and neuroscientist called Dr. Charles Zuker says obesity isn't a metabolic disease, but rather a brain circuit disease and a physical one." By activating the gut-brain axis, which controls our preference for sugar, we're able to satisfy our sweet tooth. Due to the fact that artificial sweeteners don't get absorbed in... See more

The brain leads to associate the taste, the likes and dislike, with the signals from the gut, which measures what you need (protein, sugar, fat) and causes craving.