New research shows that people taking weight-loss medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, or Mounjaro might find that their food tastes different—especially sweeter or saltier than before.
This surprising result comes from a study shared at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) meeting in Vienna. The findings were also published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.
The researchers wanted to understand how these popular medications, known as incretin-based therapies, affect how people experience taste. These drugs are widely used to manage weight, but until now, it hasn’t been clear if they influence how people taste food.
In the study, over 400 people who were taking these drugs to lose weight were asked about their sense of taste and appetite. About 70% of the participants were women. They had all been using the medication for at least three months, with the average treatment time being around 40 to 47 weeks.
The results showed that about one in five participants noticed their food tasted sweeter or saltier than before. This didn’t happen with all flavors—bitterness and sourness didn’t change. People taking Wegovy were especially likely to notice saltier tastes. Despite these differences, the sweet taste changes were similar across all three medications.
But why does this matter? The study found that changes in taste were connected to changes in appetite. People who noticed sweeter food were twice as likely to feel full sooner.
They were also more likely to feel less hungry and have fewer food cravings. The same pattern was true for people who noticed saltier food. This suggests that changes in how food tastes might help people feel full faster and eat less.
More than half of the people in the study said they felt less hungry overall, and nearly two-thirds said they felt full sooner than before. Around 41% of people taking Mounjaro said their food cravings had greatly reduced, which was higher than those taking Wegovy or Ozempic.
Even though these taste changes seemed to affect how people felt about food, they didn’t directly link to how much weight the participants lost.
On average, people lost between 15% to 17% of their body weight, depending on the medication they were taking. The researchers believe that taste is just one part of the picture when it comes to losing weight.
The study also highlighted that these medications don’t just work on the stomach or brain—they may also affect taste buds and parts of the brain that deal with flavor and reward. This could explain why some people experience stronger tastes and feel full faster.
Still, the researchers caution that the study can’t prove these medications cause the taste changes. The information was self-reported, and the people in the study might not fully represent all users of these drugs.
In the future, doctors might be able to use information about a patient’s sense of taste to help adjust their treatment.
For example, if a patient finds certain flavors overwhelming or less pleasant, a doctor could suggest food swaps that better match their new preferences. Tracking taste changes could also give doctors another way to know if the medication is helping—beyond just checking weight.
Overall, this study shows that medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro might help with weight loss not only by changing hunger but also by changing how food tastes. This may make it easier for people to eat less without feeling deprived.
The study is published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.
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