Episode 277: Dr. Rachel Herz | The Science of Disgust, Smell, and Why You Eat What You Eat

Dr. Rachel Herz, a leading neuroscientist and expert on smell and disgust, reveals that disgust is not an innate reaction but a learned emotional response shaped by culture, context, and personal experience—making it a powerful psychological lever in our relationship with food. Contrary to popular belief, she argues that food addiction as a clinical condition is a misnomer: while overconsumption and disordered eating are real, they stem from habit, environmental cues, and cognitive dissonance rather than a biological dependency like drugs or alcohol. The real danger lies in ultra-processed foods engineered to hijack our sensory systems with optimized salt, sugar, and fat combinations, which bypass our natural satiety signals. Yet, Herz offers a path forward not through fear or disgust, but through awareness: by reading ingredient labels, understanding how context alters perception, and practicing mindful eating—savoring the first few bites of a treat before stopping, even if it's not 'bad' food. Her key insight? We don’t need to hate food to change our behavior—just to understand it. The episode dismantles the myth of 'food addiction' by showing that the brain’s reward system is designed for survival, not overindulgence. When we eat in response to stress, boredom, or social cues—rather than hunger—we’re not addicted; we’re reacting to a mismatch between our evolved biology and modern food environments.