Foods Taste Sweeter Or Saltier Than Before For Some People Taking Ozempic, Wegovy Or Mounjaro

New investigation being presented astatine nan Annual Meeting of nan European Association for nan Study of Diabetes (EASD) successful Vienna, Austria (15-19 September) shows that immoderate individuals who are taking Ozempic, Wegovy aliases Mounjaro find that foods sensation sweeter aliases saltier than before.

About 1 successful 5 of those participating successful nan real-word study, published successful nan diary Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, perceived sweetness much intensely and a akin number were much delicate to brackish – and these changes were linked to a simplification successful appetite.

"Incretin-based therapies specified arsenic Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro are wide utilized for weight guidance but their effect connected sensation cognition has been unclear," says Othmar Moser, of University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany, who led nan research.

"If changes successful sensation are linked to greater appetite power and weight loss, this could thief clinicians amended prime therapies, supply much tailored dietary proposal and amended semipermanent curen outcomes for patients."  

To find retired more, Professor Moser and colleagues from nan Medical University of Vienna surveyed hundreds of individuals pinch overweight and obesity who were taking Ozempic, Wegovy aliases Mounjaro for weight nonaccomplishment astir their consciousness of sensation and appetite.

Of nan 411 participants (69.6% female), 148 were connected Ozempic, 217 were connected Wegovy and 46 were taking Mounjaro. 

Median long of curen was akin for nan 3 groups (Ozempic: 43 weeks; Wegovy: 40 weeks; and Mounjaro: 47 weeks), pinch each of nan participants receiving curen for astatine slightest 3 consecutive months. The mean BMI earlier starting curen was 34.7 kg/m2 (Ozempic), 35.6 kg/m2 (Wegovy) and 36.2 kg/m2 (Mounjaro).

The participants, who were recruited online, were asked if their consciousness of sensation (perception of sweetness, saltiness, sourness and bitterness) had changed since starting treatment.

They were besides asked astir changes to appetite, satiety and nutrient cravings, arsenic good changes to manner factors, specified arsenic smoking, and for self-reported information connected tallness and weight earlier and during treatment.

Reductions successful BMI, adjusted for long of treatment, dose, baseline BMI, property and sex, were 17.4% pinch Ozempic, 17.6% pinch Wegovy and 15.5% pinch Mounjaro.

Around a 5th of nan participants said that nutrient tasted sweeter (21.3%) aliases saltier (22.6%) than before. Their cognition of bitterness and sourness did not change.

Some 26.7% of participants successful nan Wegovy group reported that nutrient tasted saltier than before, compared pinch 16.2% successful nan Ozempic group and 15.2% successful nan Mounjaro group. Increases successful sweetness were reported astatine akin frequencies successful each groups (Wegovy 19.4%, Ozempic 21.6%, Mounjaro 21.7%).

More than half of nan participants (58.4%) reported they were little quiet successful general, i.e. their appetite had decreased (Ozempic: 62.1%, Wegovy: 54.4%, Mounjaro: 56.5%).

Almost two-thirds of nan participants (63.5%) reported accrued satiety i.e. they felt afloat sooner Ozempic: 58.8%, Wegovy: 66.8%, Mounjaro: 63.1%). Food cravings were besides reduced, pinch 41.3% of Mounjaro users reporting a beardown simplification successful cravings, i.e. their cravings were overmuch little aggravated that before, compared pinch 34.1% of those taking Wegovy and 29.7% of those taking Ozempic.

Further study revealed links betwixt changes to consciousness of sensation and appetite and satiety.

Participants who reported that nutrient tasted sweeter since starting incretin-based therapy were doubly arsenic apt to study accrued satiety, compared pinch participants who said their cognition of sweetness had not changed.

Those pinch an summation successful nan cognition of sweetness were besides 67% much apt to study a simplification successful appetite and 85% much apt to study a simplification successful cravings, compared pinch those whose cognition of sweetness was unchanged.

Similarly, participants who said nutrient tasted saltier than earlier were astir doubly arsenic apt (2.17 times) to besides reported accrued satiety, compared pinch those whose cognition of saltiness was unchanged.

These narcotics enactment not only successful nan gut and encephalon areas that power hunger but besides connected sensation bud cells and encephalon regions that process sensation and reward. This intends they tin subtly alteration really beardown flavours, for illustration sweetness aliases saltiness, are perceived. This, successful turn, whitethorn impact appetite."

Professor Othmar Moser, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany

However, location was nary nexus betwixt changes successful sensation cognition and simplification successful BMI. The researchers estimate this is because consciousness of sensation is conscionable 1 of galore factors progressive successful weight loss.

Professor Moser explains: "Shifts successful sensation whitethorn impact really satisfying aliases appealing nutrient feels successful nan moment, which influences appetite control. However, weight nonaccomplishment depends connected galore different factors – for illustration metabolism, semipermanent eating patterns, and activity – truthful changes to sensation unsocial whitethorn not beryllium capable to straight thrust assemblage weight reduction."

The study's limitations see inability to beryllium causation, nan self-reporting of information and nan anticipation that nan participants weren't typical of nan diligent group arsenic a whole.

Professor Moser concludes: "Drugs for illustration Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro whitethorn change consciousness of taste, making foods look sweeter aliases saltier and helping group consciousness afloat sooner and little hungry. For objective practice, this suggests that monitoring patients' sensation changes could supply useful clues astir curen response, moreover though sensation unsocial does not straight thrust weight loss.

"For example, search changes successful sensation could thief gauge whether nan curen is moving beyond weight loss.

"It could besides possibly beryllium utilized to tailor dietary advice, for illustration by helping patients find alternatives to foods pinch flavours that person go overwhelming aliases little appealing."