Modern Metabolic Health with Dr. Lindsay Ogle, MD

Food Aversions on GLP-1 Medications

• Lindsay Ogle, MD

Share episode

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 14:21

One day eggs taste fine, and the next day the smell alone is a hard no. If you’re taking a GLP-1 medication and you’ve noticed sudden food aversions, you’re not imagining it and you’re not alone. We talk through what a true food aversion is, why it can feel so intense, and why it’s different from GI side effects like nausea or vomiting that need to be managed with your prescriber. 

We also dig into the surprising ways GLP-1 therapy can change taste and food reward, from dulled flavors across sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami to the opposite experience where sweetness becomes almost too strong to tolerate. For many people, this leads to less interest in sugar-sweetened beverages and alcohol, fewer processed foods in the cart, and more whole foods day to day, which can support weight loss and better metabolic health. But we don’t gloss over the hard part: when aversions hit protein foods like meat or eggs, meeting your protein needs can feel suddenly complicated. 

You’ll hear practical, patient-friendly strategies to work around protein aversions by rotating sources (fish, poultry, and other options), slowing titration when needed, and building a support team that includes a registered dietitian. We also discuss the emotional side of taste changes and how talk therapy can help if food has been a primary source of comfort or enjoyment. Finally, we explore the “pause” these medications can create and how it can help you break habits like nightly dessert or reflex snacking and eat with more intention. 

If this helped you, share it with someone navigating GLP-1 food aversions, then subscribe and leave a review so more people can find trustworthy, evidence-based metabolic health guidance.


GLP-1 Overview Video

👩🏼‍⚕️ Live in Missouri? Want to be my patient?
Telehealth clinic: https://missourimetabolichealth.com

🥑 Have questions you want answered on the podcast? Email support@missourimetabolichealth.com


✨Freebies✨
Anti-Obesity Medication Options
How To Prevent Diabetes
Healthy Habits Workbook
Preventative Health Checklist

🤗 Socials:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.lindsayogle/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr..lindsay.ogle?_t=8prC4VUQZ5i&_r=1

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMV0X6U0JLZgRMiNwGtmpeg

Welcome And Medical Disclaimer

Dr. Lindsay Ogle, MD

Welcome to the Modern Metabolic Health Podcast with your host, Dr. Lindsay Ogle, Board Certified Family Medicine and Obesity Medicine Physician. Here we learn how we can treat and prevent modern metabolic conditions such as diabetes, PCOS, fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome, sleep apnea, and more. We focus on optimizing lifestyle while utilizing safe and effective medical treatment. Please remember that while I am a physician, I am not your physician. Everything discussed here is provided as general medical knowledge and not direct medical advice. Please talk to your doctor about what is best for you.

What Food Aversion Means

Dr. Lindsay Ogle, MD

Hi and welcome back to Modern Metabolic Health Podcast. Today we're going to talk about food adversions when you are taking a GLP1 medication. Many of my patients are taking a GLP1 medication to manage their metabolic health condition, including overweight and obesity. And some of these patients experience food adversions while taking their GLP1 medication. So what is a food aversion? This is when you all of a sudden start to not want to eat or not enjoy eating a food that you used to enjoy eating. So this doesn't happen to everybody on a GLP1 medication, but it can happen to some. And for the occasional person, it can be very distressing and can be a pretty strong adversion to where they don't want to eat it, they don't want to see it, they don't want to smell it, they don't want to be around anybody who's eating it, they don't want it in their house. And it can be a whole spectrum to that extreme to just not preferring it. And I want to really emphasize that food adversions are not the same thing as experiencing side effects like nausea and vomiting that are leading to not wanting to

Food Aversion Vs Nausea

Dr. Lindsay Ogle, MD

eat as much. That is not how GLP1 medications work. Those are GI-related side effects that you need to tell your doctor or your prescriber about and they need to be managed. But that is not the same thing as a food adversion. A food adversion is actually happening at the brain and taste bud on the tongue level.

Sugar Alcohol And Processed Foods

Dr. Lindsay Ogle, MD

Another category that people can have adversions to are sugar-sweetened beverages and alcohol. And so for many people who are looking to improve their health and well-being, they're looking to reduce their sugar-sweetened beverages, like sodas, juices, sweet teas, and they're looking to reduce alcohol. So this is kind of a positive side effect, if you will. But those other foods listed, other than the sweets and white rice and bread, but there are some food adversions that were listed earlier, mostly meat and eggs, that many people who are on a health and wellness journey are wanting to continue in their current diet or add to their diet to ensure adequate protein and nutrient intake. And so having those food adversions can be distressing. One last change that is seen in studies is that patients who are on a GLP1 medication are less likely to purchase and consume processed foods. And they're more likely to purchase and consume whole foods. And when this is studied, this is the exact opposite of the pattern that we see on people for people who are not taking GLP1 medications. Over time, people who are not taking GLP1 medications are more likely to lean towards processed foods and are less likely to purchase whole foods. And so this is another one of those positive changes that are happening again at the brain level and the taste bud level on the tongue.

How GLP-1 Changes Taste

Dr. Lindsay Ogle, MD

So we know that GLP1 medications suppress appetite and they help to control food noise, but they also alter somebody's um appreciation or uh tolerance for the different tastes that we have, which is sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami. So you're if you're on a GLP1 medication, most people these tastes are dulled, and that makes the experience of eating food less enjoyable. This can be upsetting for many people who have used food for enjoyment or for positive emotion. Um, and if that is the case, if you've realized that after starting a GLP1 medication, or maybe you knew it before but you did not know what impact that would have to have that taken away from you while on the medication, I highly recommend asking for a referral for a talk therapist who can help you through this process. Um it just it could be helpful to work with somebody who can help to find other avenues for enjoyment. And again, this doesn't mean that you're never going to enjoy food again. This change in taste is most intense when you're starting the GLP1 medication and as you're titrating the dose. And once you work on that relationship with food, then even though it's not as intense, you still can get enjoyment out of food. It'll just be a more appropriate level of enjoyment that will help you to achieve your health and wellness goals. Paradoxically, some people have a heightened sense of sweetness specifically. And I hear this from many of my patients where they used to really enjoy sweet foods, desserts, sugar-sweetened beverages like soda or sweet tea or juices. But now when they are on their GLP1 medication and they consume those foods or products, they the the sweetness is too intense and it's not enjoyable anymore. And so they have either just very small quantities of those items, or they you know choose a version that maybe is a little less sweet, um, or they you know forego them altogether. And for something like sweetness, this is doable because we don't need added sugars to function. Um, so reducing them or eliminating them is quite alright for from a health standpoint.

Protein Aversions And Nutrition Fixes

Dr. Lindsay Ogle, MD

However, if you're having those food adversions to something that is more protein-based, then that can be more difficult to manage because we do need to consume protein to ensure our health and well-being. We need protein to build our you know lean muscle, but also to support and build our organs as well as our other bodily functions. So we need protein. Protein is the building blocks for our bodies and our bodily functions. And so that is something that you definitely need to talk to your doctor or prescriber if you're having aversions to protein to get some ideas of how to work around that. And that could include trying different sources of protein. So maybe you no longer have a taste or desire for eggs, but maybe you would enjoy fish, um like tuna or salmon, and you can incorporate that into your diet. Um, maybe you no longer have a taste or desire for red meats like ground beef or a steak or pork, but you can tolerate and still enjoy poultry. So you can have chicken or turkey. Um, this can also be a time when working with a registered dietitian can be so beneficial. If you have commercial health insurance, then you likely have coverage for a dietitian. So you can check with your insurance or you can find a local dietitian and have them, you know, check in with your insurance to see if they can accept you as a new client. And they're wonderful to work with. Um, they can see where you're at right now and ask lots of questions about what your current lifestyle and preferences are, and then make individualized recommendations for you to tweak that diet, to um kind of overcome or work around those food food aversions, and to support you nutritionally while on your journey with a GLP1 medication.

Breaking Habits With The New Pause

Dr. Lindsay Ogle, MD

And these changes in taste also impact our eating habits. And what I see clinically is that because people are no longer having that urge or the positive feedback to eat certain foods because of how it tastes, there is less of that like hedonic drive to eat. And it gives us the ability to take a pause, whether that's before we eat or after that first bite, to pause and reflect. Are we really hungry? Do we need this food to nourish our body and reach our health goals? Or are we eating it out of habit? Have we always had our after dinner snack or dessert? And now it's not seeming as appetizing, and we actually don't need it to reach our nutrition or health goals, and so we can, you know, hold off of it for tonight. Um, or do we uh typically snack if we're taking a road trip? But now the salty chips are just a little bit too salty and not appetizing. We can then hold off and wait until we get to our destination and have a well-rounded meal at that time. It gives us that pause to really reflect and break those habits that have built up previously over time because of that food reward pathway that's built up in the brain. Um, and quite frankly, that the um that the food industry has really hijacked in the past and has optimized their food products so that we do turn to them consistently over time. The GLP1 medications help to offset that and allow for more deliberate nutritional intake throughout

Talk To Your Prescriber And Adjust

Dr. Lindsay Ogle, MD

the day. So if you're experiencing a food adversion on a GLP1 medication, the first thing I recommend is to talk to your prescriber, your physician, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, whoever is managing your GLP1 medication, they should be aware of what you're experiencing, both positive and negative. And know that this does not mean that it is the wrong medication for you. It does not mean that you're never going to be able to eat those foods again. It just means that we probably need to slow down titration. We need to give your body some more time to adjust. This may be a great opportunity to explore new foods, and that can be something that you do on your own. You can ask, you know, other family members, friends. Um, this can be where a community support can be very helpful. Um, I will link a few below that I strongly recommend and have really great advice. You also can, you know, you can ask things online and can find some answers there. Um, but whenever you're looking for individualized advice, talk to your doctor and consider working with a registered dietitian. They are wonderful, they are really going to wonderful addition to your health team long term and can really support you through these food aversions that may occur on a GLP1 medication.

Share Subscribe Review

Dr. Lindsay Ogle, MD

I hope you found this helpful. And if you did, please share with somebody who may be experiencing a food aversion while on their GLP1 medication. They are not alone, and I look forward to seeing you next week. Take care. Thank you for listening and seeing how you can improve your metabolic health in this modern world. If you found this information helpful, please share with a friend, family member, or colleague. We need to do all we can to combat the dangerous misinformation that is out there. Please subscribe and write a review. This will help others find the podcast that they may also improve their metabolic health. I look forward to our conversation next week.