Taste Change After Weight Loss Surgery

Bariatric surgery can bring many new and exciting changes to an individual who has been struggling with obesity. Positive changes in weight loss may occur, but many patients report changes regarding taste and food preferences.

Is Taste Change Common After Weight Loss Surgery?

Changes in taste and smell have been observed after gastric bypass surgery. One study showed that 97% of patients experienced at least one sensory change (taste, smell, and appetite) immediately following weight loss surgery while another study reported that 82% of patients experienced changes in taste. The most common sensory changes reported by patients is a sensitivity to:

• Sweeter foods and beverages
• Sour foods
• Fast foods (fatty, greasy)

In one study, taste aversions were long lasting for most patients that followed-up two and a half years after surgery. Although, in other cases, patients may see changes lessen or even disappear over time.

Feel free to check our next blog Sleep Apnea and Bariatric Surgery.

Weight Loss Surgery and Gut Hormones

When you consume a food or beverage, receptors throughout the body send hormonal messages to the nervous system to relay the feeling of hunger (ghrelin), pleasure in eating foods you desire (dopamine), and the feeling of fullness (leptin). These messages travel back and forth between the brain and gastrointestinal tract. After gastric bypass surgery, it's believed that taste and smell alterations occur because of fluctuating hormones caused by changes to the stomach and intestinal tract that interrupt the messages sent by the nervous system to these areas of the body.

Dopamine

A neurotransmitter sent by the brain to the gastrointestinal tract to give you a feeling of happiness and pleasure while consuming something sweet.

Leptin

As you continue eating, hormones like leptin are released to decrease the feeling of pleasure to stop you from eating excessive amounts of food. Leptin is a hormone that:

• Tells the body that you're full
• Controls how calories are stored

Non-surgical weight loss and weight loss induced by surgery are believed to improve the sensitivity of the hormonal message’s leptin produces. Increased sensitivity can result in satisfaction of smaller meals and a decrease in the way the body perceives flavor in different food and beverage items.

Ghrelin

A hormone that has a role in the feeling of hunger and determining how much of what we eat can be burned for energy or what can be stored as fat.

• Non-surgical weight loss has been shown to increase the amount of ghrelin produced by the body, which is why you feel hungry as soon as calories are restricted, and you start to lose weight.
• Surgical weight loss, such as gastric bypass surgery, reduced the amount of ghrelin produced while also restricting the amount of food consumed due to a portion of the stomach and intestine being bypassed. Therefore, bariatric patients can eat less without feeling hungry.

How to Deal With Taste Changes After Bariatric Surgery

Taste change can be a positive outcome after surgery, preventing an individual from reverting to old ways, but it could also cause a problem. Some tips that could help with taste change would include:

• Chilling protein meal replacement shakes before drinking
• Try savory options like unflavored protein in a broth or soup flavored protein
• Change up the way you prepare food (poaching, simmering, boiling, braising, steaming, etc.)
• Speak to your doctor about changing up your vitamin regimen (chewables, capsules, drinkable vitamins)

After surgery, it’s important to follow a vitamin regimen for the rest of your life to avoid any unwanted deficiencies that could have otherwise been prevented. If your vitamin regimen is no longer working due to taste aversions, try different options that may work for you and your doctor’s recommendations. Give time for your body to heal after surgery and try to go back to a previous regimen because depending on the person, things may change over time. Taste change is extremely stressing for children, check our next blog - Bariatric Surgery In Children.

If you already had or planning to have gastric bypass surgery, we recommend to look though our guides:

• Gallbladder Problems After Gastric Bypass
• Getting Pregnant After Gastric Bypass
• Weight Requirement For Gastric Bypass

You might be interested in our collection - Bariatric Chewable Multivitamins or

packets of meal replacement protein powder as well.

**This blog is for information and education purposes only. This information is not intended to substitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions in regards to a medical condition. A qualified healthcare professional can best assist you in deciding whether a dietary supplement is suitable based on your individual needs.