Key Takeaways
- Some users of GLP-1 drugs, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, have reported changes in taste perception.
- A new study supports these anecdotal claims and suggests a link between semaglutide and taste sensitivity.
- Experts say the main mechanisms by which semaglutide helps with weight management remain appetite suppression and delayed gastric emptying.
People have sometimes reported changes in taste after starting GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, and a recent study is finding some evidence to support these claims.
A proof-of-concept study presented at the annual Endocrine Society meeting found that semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, improved taste sensitivity in participants.
The study included 30 obese women. Over 16 weeks, participants were randomly assigned to receive semaglutide 1.0 mg or placebo once weekly. Researchers studied changes in taste sensitivity, taste bud gene expression, and brain responses to sweets using a variety of methods, including tongue strips with different concentrations of four basic tastes, tongue tissue biopsies, and MRI brain scans.
Researchers found that semaglutide improved sensitivity to the four basic tastes – salty, sweet, sour, and bitter – and increased the brain's response to sweets. But these initial findings do not confirm that people taking semaglutide do not crave sweets, according to Dr. Mojca Jensterle Sever, first author of the study and professor of endocrinology at the University Medical Center in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
“Our study provides ‘food for thought’ about additional mechanisms by which semaglutide and other incretin-based treatments promote changes in food preferences and eating habits that could potentially lead to weight loss,” says Jensterle Sever. I spoke to Verywell via email.
Previous research has shown that obese people have reduced taste sensitivity. Researchers hypothesized that targeting taste buds could be a new way to treat or manage obesity. However, there is still much to learn about this potential mechanism.
“Although there are receptors in taste buds, to fully understand how hormonal regulation of taste affects dietary intake, it will be important to clearly distinguish the local actions of GLP-1 signaling in taste buds from other systemic effects of this hormone. “Priya said. Dr. Jaisinghani, a triple board-certified physician in internal medicine, endocrinology, and obesity medicine and clinical assistant professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, told Verywell in an email.
Semaglutide works by regulating appetite and slowing stomach emptying, making users feel full for longer.
Dr. Andres Splenser, an endocrinologist at Memorial Hermann in Houston, said one patient told him that after taking semaglutide, the “food noise,” or constant thoughts about food, disappeared.
“Patients have not reported to me whether they notice food tasting different or a change in taste, but they are generally less interested in eating foods that appeal to people,” Splenser said.
He added that semaglutide may help reduce food cravings, which may be a more powerful weight management agent than changes in taste sensitivity. Research into the link between semaglutide and taste perception may not lead to further breakthroughs in weight loss.
Jensterle Sever, author of the study on taste, said that even if semaglutide affects taste preferences, this mechanism is likely to lead to minimal weight loss.
“The primary mechanism of action of incretin-based therapies in the treatment of obesity is appetite suppression and improved eating control through homeostatic centers and reward circuits in the hypothalamus and midbrain,” she said.
What this means to you
If you are using or considering GLP-1 drugs for weight management, you may also experience changes in your taste perception. Although this may affect the way you enjoy certain foods, the main benefit of these medications is their ability to reduce appetite and control food cravings.