New research presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Vienna, Austria, reveals that some people taking weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, or Mounjaro may find that food tastes sweeter or saltier than before. The study, published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, suggests these subtle shifts in taste could be linked to changes in appetite and satiety.
The research was led by Professor Othmar Moser from the University of Bayreuth in Germany, alongside colleagues from the Medical University of Vienna. “Incretin-based therapies such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro are widely used for weight management, but their effect on taste perception has been unclear,” said Professor Moser. “If changes in taste are linked to better appetite control and weight loss, this could help clinicians select therapies more effectively, give tailored dietary advice, and improve long-term treatment outcomes.”
Study participants
To understand the effects of these drugs on taste, the researchers surveyed 411 people with overweight and obesity who were taking one of the three medications for at least three months. Among them, 148 were on Ozempic, 217 on Wegovy, and 46 on Mounjaro. Around 70 per cent of participants were female.
The median duration of treatment was 43 weeks for Ozempic, 40 weeks for Wegovy, and 47 weeks for Mounjaro. Before starting treatment, participants’ average BMI ranged from 34.7 to 36.2 kg/m². The participants were recruited online and asked detailed questions about changes in taste (sweetness, saltiness, sourness, and bitterness), appetite, satiety, food cravings, lifestyle habits, and self-reported height and weight.
Key findings: Participants reported change in taste
About one in five participants reported that food tasted sweeter (21.3 per cent) or saltier (22.6 per cent) than before starting treatment. The perception of bitterness and sourness, however, did not change significantly. Changes in salt perception varied across the drugs: 26.7 per cent of the Wegovy group noticed saltier food, compared with 16.2 per cent on Ozempic and 15.2 per cent on Mounjaro. Sweetness perception was similar across all three groups, ranging from 19.4 per cent to 21.7 per cent.
Professor Moser explained that these shifts in taste may result from the drugs’ action not only on the gut and brain areas that regulate 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,” he said.
Appetite, satiety, and cravings
The study also revealed notable changes in appetite and satiety. More than half of the participants (58.4 per cent) reported feeling less hungry overall. In detail, 62.1 per cent of Ozempic users, 54.4 per cent of Wegovy users, and 56.5 per cent of Mounjaro users noted a decrease in appetite. Nearly two-thirds (63.5 per cent) said they felt full sooner, with Wegovy users reporting the highest increase in satiety (66.8 per cent). Food cravings also declined, especially among Mounjaro users, 41.3 per cent of whom reported a strong reduction in cravings.
Further analysis showed a strong link between taste changes and appetite control. Participants who found food sweeter were twice as likely to report increased satiety, 67 per cent more likely to experience reduced appetite, and 85 per cent more likely to report fewer cravings. Similarly, those who perceived food as saltier were about twice as likely to feel fuller compared with participants whose perception of saltiness had not changed.
Weight loss results
Despite these changes in taste, the researchers found no direct link between change in taste perception and BMI reduction. Adjusted weight loss over the study period was significant: 17.4 per cent for Ozempic users, 17.6 per cent for Wegovy users, and 15.5 per cent for Mounjaro users. Professor Moser explained that taste is only one factor influencing weight loss, which also depends on metabolism, long-term eating habits, and physical activity.
Clinical implications
“These findings suggest that drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro may make foods taste sweeter or saltier, helping people feel full faster and less hungry,” Professor Moser said. “For clinicians, monitoring changes in taste could offer useful clues about how well a patient is responding to treatment, even beyond changes in weight. It may also help provide more tailored dietary advice, such as suggesting alternatives if certain flavours become overwhelming.”
Limitations of the study
The researchers noted several limitations. The study relied on self-reported data and could not prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship. Further, participants were recruited online and may not fully represent the broader population of patients using these drugs.
Overall, the study sheds light on a lesser-known effect of incretin-based therapies: the ability to alter taste perception, which may support appetite control and improve the overall weight-loss experience. While changes in taste alone may not drive weight loss, they could be an important tool for clinicians to monitor treatment response and offer personalized guidance for patients managing obesity and overweight conditions.