Ozempic and Mounjaro Could Make Food Taste Weird

Obesity continues to be a global health challenge, with the World Health Organisation reporting that 1 in 8 people were living with obesity in 2022. In the United States, recent surveys show that more than 40% of adults are affected. Against this backdrop, medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro have become widely used tools for weight management.

While these drugs are known for reducing appetite, an important question has come up: Can Ozempic and Mounjaro make the food taste different?

According to new research presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Vienna, the answer appears to be yes, at least for some patients.

Weight-Loss Drugs and Taste Changes

The study, led by researchers from Germany and Austria, explored how these medications may influence not only hunger but also taste perception. Their findings suggest that about one in five people taking Ozempic, Wegovy, or Mounjaro notice that food tastes different.
Interestingly, participants often reported that flavours such as sweetness and saltiness felt stronger than before, while bitterness and sourness remained unchanged. For some, this meant foods tasted unusually sweet, while others noticed meals seemed saltier than they remembered.

What the Research Found

The study surveyed 411 individuals living with overweight or obesity who were actively using one of the three drugs for weight loss. Of these, 148 participants were taking Ozempic, 217 were on Wegovy, and 46 were using Mounjaro.

Key findings included:

21.3% said foods tasted sweeter than before.
22.6% felt foods tasted saltier.
Reports of stronger saltiness were most common in the Wegovy group (26.7%), compared with 16.2% of Ozempic users and 15.2% of Mounjaro users.
In contrast, the increase in sweetness sensitivity was reported at nearly the same rate across all three groups (about 20–22%).

Why Do These Changes Happen?

Professor Othmar Moser, who led the study, explained that these drugs don’t just act on the digestive system and brain areas that control hunger. They also appear to influence taste bud cells and brain regions involved in taste and reward processing. This means that the way people perceive flavours can shift, which may play a role in how full or satisfied they feel after eating.
While these changes could support appetite control, Professor Moser emphasised that weight loss is influenced by many other factors, including metabolism, diet, and physical activity. Therefore, taste changes alone are unlikely to explain all the weight loss benefits of these drugs.

What This Means for Patients and Clinicians

The possibility that medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro may change how food tastes has important clinical implications. For example:

Monitoring taste changes could provide doctors with clues about how well a patient is responding to treatment.
Patients who find certain foods less appealing may benefit from tailored dietary advice to help them adjust.
Understanding these shifts can help improve long-term treatment outcomes by aligning nutrition strategies with patients’ evolving preferences.

As Professor Moser noted, “Shifts in taste may affect how satisfying food feels in the moment, which influences appetite control. However, taste alone does not determine weight loss outcomes.”

Conclusion

Research suggests that roughly one in five people on these medications experience heightened sensitivity to sweetness or saltiness. While this effect may help some people feel full sooner, it is only one piece of the puzzle in achieving successful, sustainable weight management.

Source: Inputs from various media Sources

Priya Bairagi

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I’m a pharmacist with a strong background in health sciences. I hold a BSc from Delhi University and a pharmacy degree from PDM University. I write articles and daily health news while interviewing doctors to bring you the latest insights. In my free time, you’ll find me at the gym or lost in a sci-fi novel.