How to Control Hunger, Eating & Satiety | Huberman Lab Essentials

Andrew Huberman

Feb 27, 2025

Episode description

In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, I explain how hormones regulate hunger, appetite and feelings of satiety (fullness), along with strategies to help control appetite.

I describe how the body senses nutrient levels and how the brain processes these signals to stimulate hunger or suppress appetite. I also discuss how certain foods can help curb hunger, while processed foods and emulsifiers can interfere with satiety signals, leading to overeating. Additionally, I cover how lifestyle factors such as exercise and meal timing regulate blood glucose levels, which in turn impact hunger and appetite.

Episode show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/Ao6Skcc

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: https://youtu.be/17O5mgXZ9ZU

*Timestamps*
00:00:00 Huberman Lab Essentials; Hormones, Sexual Development
00:00:56 Hunger, Hypothalamus, Cortex & Mouth
00:04:40 Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormone, AgRP Neurons, Ghrelin, Tool: Regular Meal Timing
00:08:56 Cholecystokinin (CCK), Tool: Omega-3s, Amino Acids & Blunting Appetite
00:12:09 Highly-Processed Foods, Emulsifiers, Tool: Whole Foods & Satiety Signals
00:16:49 Insulin, Glucose, Type 1 & 2 Diabetes
00:19:55 Insulin & Glucagon, Tools: Food Order, Movement & Blood Glucose
00:23:01 Tool: Exercise & Stable Blood Sugar
00:25:51 Metformin, Ketogenic Diet, Blood Glucose
00:28:13 Diabetes, Urine & Blood Sugar
00:30:37 Caffeine, Tool: Yerba Mate, Glucagon-Like Peptide -1 (GLP-1), Appetite
00:33:45 Recap & Key Takeaways

Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Avoid emulsifiers to restore satiety signals and prevent overeating

Emulsifiers in processed foods strip your gut's mucosal lining, which prevents your body from detecting nutrients and releasing satiety hormones, causing you to overeat.

#processed-food

#satiety

Regulate meal times to control ghrelin and hunger signals

The hormone ghrelin is released based on your regular meal times, making you feel hungry at specific times of the day regardless of your actual blood sugar levels.

#hunger

#meal-timing

Utilize yerba mate to control appetite and manage blood sugar

Yerba mate tea increases GLP-1, a peptide that acts as an appetite suppressant and helps manage blood sugar, making it useful for extending a fast.

#appetite

#GLP1

Beware of ketogenic diet's impact on thyroid hormone levels

A long-term ketogenic diet can alter thyroid hormone levels, potentially making it more difficult for your body to manage carbohydrates when you reintroduce them.

#keto

#thyroid

Engage in Zone 2 cardio to stabilize blood sugar levels

Performing Zone 2 cardio for 30-60 minutes, three to four times a week, makes your blood sugar so stable you can better tolerate occasional high-sugar foods.

#glucose

#zone-2

Prioritize fiber before carbs to stabilize blood sugar

Eating fibrous vegetables first, followed by protein and then carbohydrates, can significantly blunt the blood sugar spike from your meal.

#fiber

#glucose

Recognize subconscious nutrient foraging to regulate eating

At a subconscious level, you are essentially 'fat foraging and amino acid foraging,' and you continue eating until your gut signals via the hormone CCK that you've ingested enough of these key nutrients.