Does Wegovy Change Your Taste Buds?

Have you observed how our taste perception changes when we are hungry compared to when we feel satiated? We become more sensitive to sweetness and saltiness, and the sense of taste becomes heightened. 

Humans are greatly influenced by their taste buds. We crave yummy foods and abandon bland ones. Cravings for calorie-heavy sweet desserts and salty snacks are a big part of why we put on weight and why it is so hard to shed our pounds. Thus, taste sensitivity plays a significant role in weight management. 

The question is, do prescription weight loss medications like Ozempic or Wegovy alter our taste buds? Do they increase sensitivity or decrease it? Let’s see what recent studies indicate!

Correlation between Sense of Taste & Sense of Smell

Taste buds are clusters of cells called papillae, found in the bumps on our tongue, epiglottis and larynx. They are responsible for our taste perception and help us detect saltiness, sourness, bitterness, sweetness and savoriness in foods. 

• An adult’s tongue contains 2,000 to 4,000 taste buds. Each taste bud contains 50 to 150 taste receptor cells (also called gustatory cells), which transmit information about the characteristics of food we consume to the brain.
• Our sense of smell also plays a role in taste perception. Have you ever noticed how dull food becomes with a cold or stuffy nose? Approximately 80–90% of our taste develops due to olfactory factors.
• Olfactory and gustatory stimuli together allow our brains to interpret different flavors.

Emerging Research on Wegovy and Taste Perception

Wegovy (semaglutide) is an FDA-approved prescription weight-loss medication that works as a GLP-1 receptor agonist and promotes a sense of fullness for long periods of time.  Additionally, Wegovy helps regulate glucose levels in the body and is proven to be cardioprotective. 

Emerging studies show that it affects our taste perception as people with obesity were found to be less sensitive to sweet taste, but this does not affect their preference for sweet flavors. They are more likely to choose sweet flavors than people with healthy weights. 

An emerging study also provides some insights into how Wegovy affects taste perception. It included 30 obese women who, over 16 weeks, randomly received a once-weekly 1.0 mg dose of semaglutide or a placebo. Researchers employed various methods, such as tongue strips with different concentrations of flavors, tongue tissue biopsies and MRI brain scans to study differences in taste sensitivity, taste bud gene expression, and brain responses to sweets.

It was found that semaglutide (Wegovy) improved sensitivity to the four basic tastes—salty, sweet, sour, and bitter—and increased the brain’s response to sweet stimuli. 

The research on Wegovy’s influence on taste is still preliminary and will require further investigation as more developments occur.

Is Wegovy causing a bad taste in the mouth​?

People who take the oral form of Wegovy have reported a metallic taste in their tongue and mouth. This taste started two weeks into the treatment and continued for six months (the observation period). Since Wegovy causes delayed gastric emptying, the taste change can also result from fermented food in the stomach, which releases sulfur-containing gases and causes acid reflux. 

This taste change is likely caused by Wegovy’s side effects, such as nausea and dry mouth, rather than by the medication itself. As the body adjusts to Wegovy, this metallic taste in the mouth will most likely disappear and be restored to normalcy.

From Pandameds.Com: Overall Impact of Wegovy on Taste

The effects of Wegovy on taste, such as increased sensitivity to sweet tastes, are beneficial as they can aid people in their weight loss journey. On the other hand, the metallic taste in your mouth could be due to Wegovy side effects and thus, temporary. However, individual experiences may vary. 

Several other factors, such as age, medications & health conditions, also influence taste perception. 

You should consult your healthcare provider if you experience severe discomfort or taste changes you experience on Wegovy are severe or persistent. 

Your doctor must review your medical history to determine whether it is a suitable option for you. If not, try these Semaglutide Natural Alternatives for Weight Loss instead.