Ozempic users have complained of strange changes in their sense of taste while taking the weight loss drug, particularly when it comes to sweet treats.
And now scientists in Europe believe they have discovered what causes the so-called “Ozempic language.”
One study showed that some people who take semaglutide, the active drug in Ozempic, experience a change in a tongue gene involved in taste.
They also found that participants experienced sweet tastes “more intensely” than those who had not used the drug.
The above shows two patients who took Ozempic and said their craving for sweets decreased while taking the medication.
It might explain why the Ozempic forums are filling up with comments complaining about not being able to consume their favorite treats, from chocolate to wine to donuts.
Dr Mojca Jensterle Sever, an endocrinologist from Slovenia who led the research, said: “People with obesity often perceive flavors less intensely and have an inherently high desire for sweet, energy-dense foods.”
‘(But) the present study showed that semaglutide improved taste sensitivity in women with obesity.
“This means that the detection threshold for different concentrations of four basic flavors (including sweetness) was improved.”
Semaglutide may have caused the change because it mimics the satiety hormone GLP-1, which studies show is also linked to taste perception.
Studies in mice, for example, show that those without the hormone GLP-1 suddenly have a greatly reduced desire to eat sweet foods.
Ozempic has taken America by storm with its promise to help people lose weight with little more than a weekly shot.
Patients have also described a reduction in cravings for other foods while taking the medication, including fast foods and alcoholic beverages such as wine.
It is also possible that not eating sweets for a long period of time while taking Ozempic could make someone more sensitive to sweets when they resume eating.
The study was presented Saturday at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in Boston, Massachusetts.
It has not yet been peer reviewed.
In the paper, scientists recruited 30 obese women and gave half of them Ozempic for four months.
During the test, their taste sensitivity was measured by placing strips containing the four basic flavors (sweet, salty, sour or bitter) on the tongue.
The scientists placed strips with different flavor intensity of each on the tongue, and participants were asked to reveal when they detected a flavor.
Participants also had some cells removed from their tongue for genetic testing during the study and had MRI scans before and after tasting something sweet after a standard meal.
Dr. Sever added: “Doctors will likely correlate the findings with their patients’ reports of changes in desire for certain foods, which go beyond broad changes in appetite and satiety that help them lose weight.”
The scientists decided to study the effect of semaglutide on taste after observing that mice lacking GLP-1 were much less sensitive to sweets.
