VIENNA (Enmaeya News) — September 23, 2025

A new study suggests that some people taking Ozempic, Wegovy, or Mounjaro may notice that foods taste sweeter or saltier than before, while their perception of bitterness and sourness remains unchanged.

The research, conducted on more than 400 participants, found that one in five experienced increased sensitivity to certain flavors. Many also reported reduced hunger and feeling full more easily.

The study was carried out by researchers at the Medical University of Vienna in Austria and the University of Bayreuth in Germany and was presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes annual meeting in Vienna from September 15–19.

Participants were asked whether their taste perception — sweetness, saltiness, sourness, or bitterness — had changed since starting treatment. They were also asked about changes in appetite, fullness, food cravings, lifestyle factors such as smoking, and self-reported height and weight before and during treatment.

Taste Changes Linked to Appetite

Analysis showed a link between taste changes and feelings of hunger and fullness. Participants who reported that food tasted sweeter since starting treatment were about twice as likely to report increased fullness compared to those whose perception of sweetness had not changed.

Similarly, those who said food tasted saltier were nearly twice as likely to report feeling full more easily than participants whose perception of saltiness remained the same.

Professor Otmar Mosser, a co-author from the University of Bayreuth, said:"These drugs affect not only the gut and brain regions that control hunger but also taste bud cells and brain areas that process taste and reward. This means they can subtly change how strong flavors, such as sweetness or saltiness, are perceived — which in turn may influence appetite."