GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy can reduce alcohol cravings, studies have found

Popular drugs that control blood sugar can also reduce waistline shrinkage alcohol alarm, According to a new study.

Researchers at Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute analyzed how 20 adults with obesity — half of whom had been taking GLP-1 receptor agonists for at least four weeks — reacted to alcoholic beverages compared to participants not on the drug.

Previous studies have shown that GLP-1 drugs are associated with lower use in people Alcohol use disorder.

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GLP-1 drugs — such as Ozempic and Wegovy, both semaglutide drugs, and Mounjaro, which contains tirzepatide — mimic natural hormones that regulate blood sugar and appetite. The study included participants taking semaglutide, tirzepatide, and liraglutide.

“We have evidence that these drugs reduce drinking outside of the laboratory,” study co-author Alex DiFelicantonio, assistant professor and interim co-director of the institute’s Center for Health Behaviors Research, told Fox News Digital. “What we wanted to understand in this study was how.”

The researchers found that people taking GLP-1 drugs experienced a delayed, lighter sound. (iStock)

Both groups fasted overnight, ate the same breakfast, and then counted alcoholic beverages Designed to reach 0.08 on a breathalyzer.

The researchers tracked participants’ breath alcohol levels, cravings, hunger, nausea and blood sugar and asked questions such as “How drunk do you feel?” On a scale of 0-10 over a four hour period.

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Those taking GLP-1 showed a slower increase in breath alcohol in the first 10 to 20 minutes and a decrease in overall levels. He also reported less intoxication from the start.

conclusionwhich was published on October 15 in the journal Scientific Reports. GLP-1 drugs are thought to act in the gut.

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Medications delay gastric emptying, reducing how quickly alcohol is absorbed.

“People who drink know there’s a difference between drinking a glass of wine and downing a shot of whiskey,” DiFeliceantonio said in a Virginia Tech news release.

Study participants who used GLP-1s showed lower breath alcohol levels. (iStock)

“Fast-acting drugs have a high potential for abuse,” she added. “They have different effects on the brain. So, if GLP-1 slows alcohol entering the bloodstream, they can reduce it. Effects of alcohol And help people drink less.”

The team found that overall alcohol cravings were lower in the GLP-1 group.

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Nausea and blood sugar changes were similar between groups, suggesting that the “low buzz” effect was not due to feeling sick.

More than half of American adults drink alcohol, and one in 10 have an alcohol use disorder, experts noted. while the Existing medications GLP-1 appears to act in part through the gut, primarily to reduce the effects of alcohol on the brain.

The study found that GLP-1 drugs can reduce the effects of alcohol on the gut, not the brain.

‘open questions’

The authors cautioned that the trial was a small pilot study and was not randomized, including all participants There was obesity.

“More studies are needed to help establish how effective these drugs are, what the long-term effects are, if any are better than others, and what dose is most effective in reducing alcohol consumption to control blood glucose,” DiFelicantonio said. “These are all open questions.”

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Akshaya Bhagwathula, Ph.D., associate professor of epidemiology at North Dakota State University and a fellow of the American College of Epidemiology, said the study is too small to prove causation and offers “an interesting signal, not a conclusion.”

Previous studies have shown that GLP-1 drugs can reduce alcohol consumption and cravings. (iStock)

Bhagwathula, who was not involved in the study, cautioned that the weak initial volume may cause some people to drink more.

“Future research should monitor overall alcohol consumption and craving patterns to understand whether this compensation occurs,” he told Fox News Digital.

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Emerging data suggest that GLP-1 may alter the shape of the drug Addiction treatmentBhagwathula pointed out.

“GLP-1 receptors influence reward signaling and craving, not just for food but for substances like alcohol and nicotine,” he said. “If confirmed in larger studies, these drugs may represent a new class of metabolism-based addiction treatment—bridging endocrinology and behavioral health.”

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“It’s time to move beyond being seen as ‘them.’Weight loss frenzy,'” added the expert. “GLP-1 drugs regulate appetite, reward and metabolism that reach beyond weight.”

He stressed that the public message should highlight the medicinal value of drugs and the need for clinical monitoring.

Fox News Digital reached out to GLP-1 manufacturers requesting comment.