"Incretin-based therapies such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro are widely used for weight management but their effect on taste perception has been unclear," lead author of the study, Othmar Moser, of the University of Bayreuth, Germany, said in a press release.
"If changes in taste are linked to greater appetite control and weight loss, this could help clinicians better select therapies, provide more tailored dietary advice and improve long-term treatment outcomes for patients,” he added.
For the study, researchers surveyed 411 adults with overweight or obesity taking Wegovy, Ozempic, or Mounjaro for weight loss. Questions investigated how their sense of appetite and taste perception of sweetness, saltiness, sourness, and bitterness changed over time. Treatment durations lasted an average of 40-47 weeks.
Ultimately, just over a fifth of participants reported food tasting sweeter or saltier than before. Whereas 26.7% of those taking Wegovy felt that food tasted saltier, the same was true for 16.2% of people taking Ozempic and 15.2% taking Mounjaro. Increases in sweetness were reported at similar frequencies by each treatment group.
Meanwhile, around 60% of participants reported feeling less hungry in general, and almost two-thirds reported increased feelings of satiety. At the same time, 30-40% reported a strong reduction in cravings.
"These drugs act not only in the gut and brain areas that control hunger but also on taste bud cells and brain regions that process taste and reward. This means they can subtly change how strong flavours, like sweetness or saltiness, are perceived. This, in turn, may affect appetite,” said Moser.
From further analysis, the researchers found that those who reported food tasting sweeter were twice as likely to report increased satiety, 67% more likely to report reduced appetite, and 85% more likely to report reduced cravings.
Meanwhile, those who reported food tasting saltier were over two times more likely to report increased satiety. The researchers reported no changes, however, in taste perception and BMI reductions.
“Shifts in taste may affect how satisfying or appealing food feels in the moment, which influences appetite control. However, weight loss depends on many other factors - like metabolism, long-term eating patterns, and activity - so changes to taste alone may not be enough to directly drive body weight reduction,” said Moser.
Moser continued to explain that the findings suggest monitoring patients’ taste changes could help clinicians understand treatment response. He said it could also help inform dietary advice, helping patients find alternatives to foods that have become less appealing.
Sources: Science Daily, Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism
