Food cravings on GLP-1s? What formulators need to know

It’s too early to say, definitively, how GLP-1 drugs impact food cravings. For one, there’s no single GLP-1 drug (they range from semaglutides to liraglutides and tirzepatides), just as there’s no single GLP-1 user. But research continues, ranging from randomised trials to social media “listening studies”, offering valuable insights as scientists work to fill the many GLP-1 knowledge gaps. For food and drink manufacturers, these insights are invaluable: understanding how various weight‑loss drugs alter consumers’ taste buds and food choices can directly inform product‑development strategy. So what are the most pertinent findings? To start with, GLP-1 users experience fewer cravings. For food and drink formulators looking to serve this growing demographic of shoppers, the finding serves as the starting point for the development of GLP-1 companion products. It’s long been known that GLP-1 drugs, including semaglutides like Ozempic and Wegovy, help people with obesity lose weight. But it wasn’t always understood whether that’s because they boost metabolism, or simply because users consume less food. In research out of the UK’s University of Leeds , and funded by Ozempic and Wegovy manufacturer Novo Nordisk, it was found that semaglutide made users eat significantly less across the day. Compared with placebo, semaglutide triggers around a 24% drop in total calories from meals and snacks. Users said they feel less hungry and had fewer cravings, and preferred less high-fat, calorie-dense foods. But their resting metabolic rate didn’t change. That means that semaglutide GLP-1 drugs help people lose weight mostly by reducing how much they eat, rather than by speeding up their metabolism. And for food and drink formulators, this is learning number one. People taking semaglutide drugs like Wegovy or Ozempic have reduced appetite and cravings, with desire waning for fatty, high-calorie foods. That’s far from the end of the story. When it comes to food formulation, appealing to consumers’ senses matter – which makes it crucial for R&D experts to understand what it is about GLP-1 drugs that impact food cravings. Could it be how the drugs affect taste and smell? That could be an important piece of the puzzle. Brand new research out of the University of Pennsylvania , US, finds that semaglutide drugs could have a significant impact on consumers’ ability to taste. In a study comparing GLP-1 and control groups, researchers tested the five basic tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami. The finding was categorical: taste was noticeably worse in the GLP-1 group. And not just for one of the five basic tastes – but for all of them. Smell, on the other hand, wasn’t clearly affected. GLP-1 users scored slightly worse, but not enough for the researchers to confidently say drugs are responsible for the difference. This finding is groundbreaking. It claims to be the first to show that GLP-1 drugs may dull taste perception in a broad way – making sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami all harder to detect. As to why, that’s not yet known. The answer could involve GLP-1 receptors in parts of the brain that process taste; taste nerve pathways; or the vagus nerve, which links the gut and brain. But even without that missing piece of the puzzle, the finding can help inform food formulation, today. Boosting food and drink fragrances in an attempt to cater to GLP-1 users may be a waste of time. But doing the same for taste? That could be the winning formula. And now for the biggest news; a debunking of perhaps the biggest misconception: GLP-1 users still crave comfort foods. This finding comes out of a social media “listening study”, whereby online conversations, mentions and sentiment are monitored, collected and analysed. And while it sounds at odds with the results of aforementioned randomised trials, actually both findings can be true: cravings are reduced, but they don’t disappear. “At the end of the day, people who take GLP-1s still want the foods and drinks they’ve always loved, just adapted to fit their new routines,” says Kim Duncan, head of consumer insights, Taste & Wellbeing, at Givaudan – which conducted the study with consumer insights first Bellomy. “They haven’t become a new type of consumer overnight; they’re simply consumers with changing needs along their journey.” That point is often overlooked. Consumers aren’t defined by the GLP-1 product – they’re consumers first and foremost who happen to take GLP-1s. Remembering who they were before, and who they still are, is key to food formulation strategy. Yes, most online conversations were found to centre around the usual GLP-1 companion product suspects, including protein shakes, ready-to-go beverages, snacks and meal replacements, and that can provide a good guide for industry. But there’s another key takeaway, says Duncan. The challenge is not to create a diet category, but rather to adapt existing favourites. “Success in this new landscape requires a shift towards nutrient-dense satisfaction – offering smaller portions and protein-fortified versions of the flavours consumers already love and seek out of comfort."

Food cravings on GLP-1s? What formulators need to know

It’s a common misconception that GLP-1 drugs erase food cravings. Actually, they alter them

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