Dr. Diego Bohórquez: The Science of Your Gut Sense & the Gut-Brain Axis

In this episode, my guest is Dr. Diego Bohórquez, PhD, professor of medicine and neurobiology at Duke University and a pioneering researcher into how we use our ‘gut sense.’ He describes how your gut communicates to your brain and the rest of your body through hormones and neural connections to shape your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. He explains how your gut senses a range of features such as temperature, pH, the macro- and micronutrients in our foods, and much more and signals that information to the brain to affect our food preferences, aversions, and cravings.

Dr. Bohórquez describes his early life in the Amazon jungle and how exposure to traditional agriculture inspired his unique expertise combining nutrition, gastrointestinal physiology, and neuroscience. We discuss how the gut and brain integrate sensory cues, leading to our intuitive “gut sense” about food, people, and situations. This episode provides a scientific perspective into your gut sense to help you make better food choices and, indeed, to support better decision-making in all of life.

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Dr. Diego Bohórquez

Timestamps
00:00:00 Dr. Diego Bohórquez
00:02:37 Sponsors: Joovv, LMNT & Helix Sleep; YouTube, Spotify & Apple Subscribe
00:06:49 Gut-Brain Axis
00:11:35 Gut Sensing, Hormones
00:15:26 Green Fluorescent Protein; Neuropod Cells & Environment Sensing
00:26:57 Brain & Gut Connection, Experimental Tools & Rabies Virus
00:35:28 Sponsor: AG1
00:37:00 Neuropod Cells & Nutrient Sensing
00:43:55 Gastric Bypass Surgery, Cravings & Food Choice
00:51:14 Optogenetics; Sugar Preference & Neuropod Cells
01:00:29 Gut-Brain Disorders, Irritable Bowel Syndrome
01:03:03 Sponsor: InsideTracker
01:04:04 Gut & Behavior; Gastric Bypass, Cravings & Alcohol
01:07:38 GLP-1, Ozempic, Neuropod Cells
01:11:46 Food Preference & Gut-Brain Axis, Protein
01:21:35 Protein & Sugar, Agriculture & ‘Three Sisters’
01:25:16 Childhood, Military School; Academics, Nutrition & Nervous System
01:36:15 Plant Wisdom, Agriculture, Indigenous People
01:41:48 Evolution of Food Choices; Learning from Plants
01:48:15 Plant-Based Medicines; Amazonia, Guayusa Ritual & Chonta Palm
01:56:58 Yerba Mate, Chocolate, Guayusa
02:00:22 Brain, Gut & Sensory Integration; Variability
02:06:01 Electrical Patterns in Gut & Brain, “Hangry”
02:12:43 Gut Intuition, Food & Bonding; Subconscious & Superstition
02:22:00 Vagus Nerve & Learning, Humming
02:26:46 Digestive System & Memory; Body Sensing
02:32:51 Listening to the Body, Meditation
02:40:12 Zero-Cost Support, Spotify & Apple Reviews, YouTube Feedback, Sponsors, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

#HubermanLab #GutHealth #Science

[hubermanlab]

Thank you for watching. If you enjoyed this topic and episode, please click the "like" button and subscribe to our channel here on YouTube. Thank you for your interest in science!

[Car-jypw]

I listen while washing dishes, cooking, cleaning… long story short, I have a large family and a full time job. These podcasts make information accessible and simplified to even someone like me. I truly appreciate it. I can make decisions for my family with a little less ignorance and feed my curiosity for things like this.

[mlouw]

Dr. Bohórquez may be my favorite guest so far! I hope you have him back!

[OnekamaProducts]

Lets get a video on the largest organ of the human body: Skin. Some topics to cover: Scar healing, sun burns, sunscreens, acne, winter dry skin, anti aging products, etc…

You the man Huberman!

[jopo]

This should be an excellent podcast.
That's my gut feeling.

[jodyglaser]

At age 69, I'm still a curious person and especially like topics about health and understanding the body and how it works. Most times I come away thinking how in awe I am of the human body. What a marvelous creator we have who conceived of all of this. thank you for this tremendous work.

[NeuroReview]

Rating: 8.3/10
In Short: Neuropods are Gut Neurons (Yes, this is a thing)
Notes: These gut neurons with hands that diego discovered are really cool--called neuropods. But the whole idea here is that we have neurons throghout our gut system that communicate with our brain and body, and I've heard this multiple times in the HLP and each time its fascinating and somewhat mind blowing. Then hearing some of Diego's story and how he got into science was great and made him memorable (south america, poor/humble beginnings). Plus 2x he says 'the words we have to describe this are bad', when talking about some nuanced concepts that are generalized in neuroscience. I get this same feeling listening to physicists or reading technical papers and I love when scientists think/say this. And especially since diego actually named something and wants to make it better means that he isnt just saying this, he's trying to do something about it. Cool also how he has a low key podcast but noone knows about it and huberman didn’t act like it was the best thing every (like he does with some other sci communicators) and just said a quick thing at the end.

[TravelPhotoWriter]

25 years ago Weight Watchers told us, "if you're hungry and craving high-point foods (i.e. Carby fatty), try eating some protein and waiting a little while." IT WORKED. Craving passed. And it's worked ever since. I am shocked at how I've become someone who does NOT crave sweets & starchies.

[MISSMOB]

One other main take away from this episode is this - I believe curiosity is essential to live a healthy life. I am someone who is extremely curious about the world around me, but I also have difficulty being around people and interacting. Give me animals and nature and I'll be happy as larry. When I'm invited to something, I always want to bail, last minute, but how I talk myself out is: "you don't know what you might have learned, or who you might have met if you don't go". Dr Bohórquez recalling his Thanksgiving meeting and the lady with the Gastric Band, is a fine example of why it's important to keep interacting, but also listening and taking in your surroundings. Dr Bohórquez absorbing (no pun intended) his conversation, mixed with his curiosity, led him to ask important questions and to apply it to his work.

[ebozzy]

I want to pitch a great idea for this show:

What if with each episode there was a simple quiz that would test people on all the knowledge contained in the episode? Created in a way that would activate people’s active recall.

I bet it would help the material land much more solidly.

Thanks for all y’all do!

[hannespi]

I love your kindness, intelligence and humbleness Dr. Diego Bohórquez and Andrew and everyone involved making this possible, including you: the viewer

[JenniferMyers]

Thanks for making your podcast easy to digest!

[elizabethmokrzycki]

Love this topic thank you !
I overhauled my eating habits!
It makes such a difference no more symptoms of IBS. Grass fed meat wild caught salmon vegetables legumes kimchi and raw sauerkraut nuts when I do want something sweet it’s usually sweetened with coconut sugar no alcohol no soda. Olipop once in a while 64oz of water a day!! It took some serious stomach issues and depression to change but I’m very grateful. It started me on a wellness journey of meditation and yoga!! I crave healthy foods does anyone else? Lol😂

[shannonevangelista]

Last year I was diagnosed with late stage colon cancer (which I sent right back to Hell💪🏻) and had genetic counseling which proved negative. I’ve also suffered from depression for all of my adult life. I’m obsessed w knowing if there is a correlation between the two. Thank you so much for this information.

[AmandaTorres-vrmf]

I enjoyed this conversation so much! I felt as if I was eavesdropping on a conversation between two people who are on the same wavelength and have a shared passion. Dr. Diego Bohorquez exudes intelligence in a most humble way. Bravo amigos!

[Metta]

Loved this episode! I need some clarification, though. When Dr. Bohorquez spoke about needing protein in the diet, he discussed plant and animal forms (if you remove protein, the gut evaluates no protein, and it stops eating that meal) . I didn't hear him say animal protein specifically was necessary. When you picked up on the discussion, you said animal protein. He then goes on to talk about how if vegetarians/vegans have a high fiber diet, the microbes can turn on the ability to synthesize essential amino acids, etc. My specific question--does the protein HAVE to be from animals? Or can you get the same results from protein regardless if it's animal vs. plant? The conversation starts at time stamp 1:15:30. He says protein, you say animal protein. Thank you for all you're doing for science. I use your podcasts as teaching points in my class all the time!

[mineman]

Huberman, I am 25, currentlyin a career in Software, I have to say, there are no words that can describe how much your content sparks my excitement to learn more about science. I want to pursue a neuroscience degree and I thank you for putting out amazing content. Kudos!

[dr.samierasadoonalhassani]

I was 4 years old started primary school, Enter Baghdad Medical School at15, Qualified as medical doctor at 21 years. First in medical school, 1 one year internship Baghdad then my dad smuggle me to Lebanon to fly to London, got a job within 3 Weeks, get post graduate degree in General surgery as the only girl with men . At 23 I was with surgeons from all over the world in Royal College of surgeons of Edinburgh, Scotland, specialised in Gynaecology and Obstetrics in addition to general surgery then did membership in gynaecology and obstetrics passed part one and two in one sitting in first trial . Rest is history. It was hard work but it is my decision to do it to help poor women in my country and UK and Qatar. Time and energy is limited so for me my life was only medicine, work and it is the only way to be the best . All traditional cultures value hard work no spoiling and waste of time in dally dally .

[lubaerlikh]

I will graduate from acupuncture and herbal medicine school next year and I am planning to go into the research because I understand the power of plant medicine ( like think about mushrooms being 4 billion years old!!! with all their DNA/ memory package). We need a more comprehensive approach to a plant medicine, it is time for it to be out of just folk medicine and become our "go to" medicine. Let's bring the medicine of the Earth back to people. Great podcast and guest, thank you!

[jenniferbalogh]

That is very interesting. If I understood it well, gut feeling is that your body gives you a signal first, before your brain could process what is really going on. So basically your body notices (you feel that unsettling feeling in your stomach) first the "red flags", and much later on, your brain also process it, and finally, after some time you came to an understanding about what was going on. First you feel subconsciously something is not right, and later that thought will become conscious, and from that point you will gonna become more aware. This is how I see it in a nutshell.