I'm a hormone expert - this is why some people's sex drive goes through the roof when they take Mounjaro
Originally developed for diabetes, blockbuster drugs like Mounjaro are now famed for helping users shed weight rapidly by suppressing appetite.
But it seems they may also be fuelling a surge in libido.
Dr Shashi Prasad, a GP and expert in women's health, said while side-effects such as nausea and even organ damage have been widely reported, changes in sexual desire remain less understood.
'Sexual desire is such an important aspect of somebody's well-being and this is still a relatively new treatment,' she said.
'We are increasingly finding that it's having an impact on people's libido—and it's not all to do with self-esteem.'
Dr Prasad explained that one possible reason for the effect is that body fat causes chronic, low-level inflammation—a key factor behind many obesity-related health issues, including reduced sex drive.
Mounjaro works by mimicking a gut hormone called GLP-1, which is released after eating to regulate blood sugar and suppress hunger.
Dr Prasad said Mounjaro may cause libido to sky rocket because of how it impacts a certain brain chemical
Your browser does not support iframes.
Your browser does not support iframes.
As well as signalling the pancreas to produce more insulin, GLP-1 tricks the body into thinking it is full—stopping patients from overeating and triggering weight loss.
More than 1.5 million patients in the UK are now paying for private Mounjaro prescriptions, as well as a similar drug called Wegovy.
Some notice a change in their drinking habits, with many saying they no longer want alcohol.
And this may give another clue to the apparent libido-boosting effect of the jabs, according to Dr Prasad.
She explains that whilst alcohol affects the part of the brain that controls inhibition—explaining why people often feel less anxious and more confident after a drink—it can dampen sex drive.
'Alcohol is a very addiction-based behaviour,' Dr Prasad explained. 'It has a suppressive effect on our emotions, releasing inhibition which can make some people more sexually inclined.
'But, sexual desire is more than that. Remember, alcohol is a depressant, so whilst you may feel more confident after a drink, physiologically alcohol actually suppresses sexual desire.'
A change to body image and the resulting boost in confidence does also play a part, she adds.
Researcher shows that women between the ages of 20 and 59 who had sex less than once a week were at a 70 per cent increased risk of death within five years
Your browser does not support iframes.
Your browser does not support iframes.
'We know that body image, self-esteem and confidence definitely play a huge role in sexual desire—and this psychological boost associated with weight loss is a very big element.'
But some users have reported the opposite effect—finding they want to have sex less frequently.
This may be because the drugs suppress the production of dopamine—the feel-good chemical the brain produces in response to pleasurable experiences.
'Our brains produce dopamine in response to anything that brings us pleasure, whether that's food, alcohol, cigarettes, socialising or sex,' says Dr Alexis Bailey, a neuropharmacologist at City St George's university in London.
'The leading theory is that GLP-1 injections helps dampen these dopamine surges.'
According to Dr Prasad, this can cause a significant drop in sex drive, resulting in users feeling more confident in their new bodies but not wanting to have sex.
She added that losing a lot of weight over a short period of time can also affect hormone balance, as can a restricted diet, by reducing levels of sex hormones testosterone and estrogen that are crucial for sexual desire.
Dr Prasad encouraged users to have a discussion with their doctors if they are concerned about their sex drive.
She said: 'This should help you get to the root cause of the problem. A drop in sex drive could simply be the result of fatigue caused by being in a calorie deficit.
'Or it could mean that your dose is too high and the drug is significantly affecting your nervous system and dopamine production.'
Either way, Dr Prasad said: 'Make sure you're eating a balanced, nutrient-dense diet with plenty of fibre and protein and exercising regularly—this will trigger the release of endorphins and may improve sexual desire.'
She is now urging health officials to conduct more research into this aspect of the drug, and encouraging more open and honest conversations about sex and weight loss.
'Sexual desire is such an important aspect of someone's identity—it is very important to flag this up and encourage patients to have a discussion with their doctor.'
Her advice comes amid growing concern over a global sex crisis—or rather, lack of sex crisis.
One recent survey revealed more than a quarter of people living in the UK are having less sex than they used to, with one in six admitting they haven't got frisky the entire year.
Last month, researchers at the University of Manchester, also revealed women who have sex at least once a week are the happiest in their relationships.
Their study showed that 85 per cent of women who had sex once a week described themselves as 'sexually satisfied'.
In contrast, only 17 per cent of women who had sex less than once a month reported the same level of relationship bliss.
Sex and intimacy have been linked to several health benefits, including improving the condition of your heart, reducing stress and even boosting mental health.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
25 minutes ago
- BBC News
Son set for half marathon charity Bath Leisure Centre swim
The son of a "supportive and gentle" ex-naval officer who passed away from bowel cancer has said the diagnosis brought his family closer together than Clark plans to swim the length of a half marathon in Bath Leisure Centre for charity and in memory of his Clark, who often took part in the Bath Half for Dorothy Hospice, passed away in 2023 after receiving "instrumental" support from the charity for his end of life Clark said he was a man who tirelessly "supported his family and causes in the local community" and wanted to give back in his honour. "I grew up with my dad running the Bath half Marathon every year to raise money for Dorothy House - I was always inspired by dad," he said."I became a dad and not long after that he passed away - he never got a chance to meet his granddaughter."I was able to record a little interview with him. "I can now keep that recording, and my daughter can watch that when she's old enough," he added. Mr Clark said: "We used to go to the Bath leisure Center Pool, and I kind of got a love for the water there."[Doing the challenge] I'll imagine him in the seats watching me and reading a paper looking down and going, 'Oh, keep going'. "It's going to be emotional." Any money raised from the challenge will be donated to Dorothy House and Cancer Kennedy, head of fundraising at Dorothy House Hospice Care said: "Simon's Swim is a phenomenal fundraising challenge."We only receive 20% of our funding from the government, so Simon's generosity ensures that we can provide vital end of life care to other people like his dad."
BBC News
25 minutes ago
- BBC News
c14e81r8e85o (GIF Image, 1 × 1 pixels)
Malia Carty BBC News, Nottingham Keith Williams Keith Williams worked for 21 years before losing his last job in 2022 "If it wasn't for food banks, I'd struggle to get any sort of food. I'd starve." Keith Williams says living on a monthly universal credit (UC) benefit payment of £368 is "a constant battle" and the money "just isn't enough" and usually lasts about a week. "Running out of food feels awful, you feel like you're letting people down," adds Keith, from Radford in Nottingham. A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) outlined measures taken to support households on UC, including extending the Household Support Fund and child poverty taskforce. UC is a single benefit payment for working-age people. It was introduced to replace a range of different benefits for unemployed and low-paid people. There were 7.9 million people on UC in June in England, Scotland and Wales, according to official government statistics, the highest level since its introduction in 2013. 'I paid my taxes' For Keith, he gets help at the non-profit charity SFiCE's social cafe and food bank in Nottingham, which provides free meals to homeless and vulnerable people in the city. The 42-year-old worked for 21 years before losing his last job in 2022 and has since struggled to find employment. "After paying into the system for so long, Universal Credit feels like a slap in the face," he added. "People will say you should be happy because you're getting money for nothing but I'm not, I paid taxes for 20 years, I deserve more." John Lamb/Getty A study by the University of Nottingham found 70% of people on UC were skipping meals or going entire days without eating and losing weight A UK-wide study by the University of Nottingham found that 70% of people on UC were skipping meals or going entire days without eating and losing weight. Simon Welham, associate professor in human nutrition at the university, told the BBC that he originally began the study to understand what kinds of foods people on UC were eating and how much. He realised the participants receiving benefits struggled to access proper nutrition, including consuming vitamins like vitamin A, iron, zinc, magnesium and selenium. Of the participants in receipt of UC, 20% did not eat vegetables, he said. "They couldn't come close to achieving a normal standard of living," said Mr Welham. "We saw the kind of nutrient deficiencies that you see in developing countries and it seems this was driven solely by people's financial capabilities," he added. Mr Welham said people on low incomes were often perceived to consume unhealthy foods at a higher rate but he "didn't see that so much". However, he noticed those participants had an "over reliance" on staple foods like bread as they are "cheap and filling". "From the kind of things we're seeing in our study and studies from across the country, I can't see how anyone would willingly choose to be on Universal Credit," Mr Welham said, addressing the stigma of benefit recipients. SFiCE "Without food banks, I'd probably go two to three days a week without eating," says Ashley Hetfield Ashley Hetfield, from Hyson Green, who also attends SFiCE's weekly meal service, said relying on benefits had a detrimental effect on his mental health. He said he had tried to stay positive and optimistic, but "living on a fifth of what [he] used to get when [he was] working" affected him. "You can't expect people to be able to live properly on £400 a month, if they're paying energy bills, food and rent," said Mr Hetfield. The 34-year-old said that he usually ate at the social cafe, but in the past, he had gone without food "to protect [his] pride". "When you're on Universal Credit, you have to become accustomed to living with nothing," he added. The Open Kitchen has multiple locations, in Nottingham, Manchester and Hounslow The Open Kitchen, another social cafe in Nottingham, said about a quarter of the people it saw each day received UC. Cordinator Imran Khan said before the cost of living crisis, he used to only serve about 20 to 30 people a day. Since April 2022, that number had increased to 120 to 130 people each day, he said. "It's not fair for anyone to go through something like this," he added. The standard UC allowance will be increasing by £7 a week in April 2026. However, Mr Khan believes it is not enough to prevent the current level of food insecurity among people on UC. "It's not going to get anyone very far, is it? "It's nothing, half-way through the month people tell me, they've run out of food, gas and electric," he added. A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said: "No-one should be living in poverty. That's why we've extended the Household Support Fund and child poverty taskforce to support families and children. "Alongside this, we've increased the National Living Wage and are helping over one million households by introducing a Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions." Related internet links
The Guardian
25 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Ham sold in UK found to contain carcinogens 10 years after WHO warning
Ham and bacon sold by supermarkets including Tesco, and Marks and Spencer still contain cancer-causing chemicals almost 10 years after the World Health Organization warned about the dangers of their use in processed meats. Wiltshire ham is the product with the highest concentrations of nitrites, according to analysis that compared it to cooked ham and unsmoked bacon. All of the 21 products tested in a laboratory were found to contain nitrites, which are used to preserve meat, despite the WHO in October 2015 declaring them to be unsafe. Tesco's Wiltshire ham contained the most nitrites – almost 33 milligrams per kilogram. That was 11 times the 2.88mg/kg in its cooked ham and almost four times the 8.64mg/kg in its unsmoked bacon. And it was also almost 18 times the 1.84mg/kg found in Morrisons's bacon. Other Wiltshire ham products, including those sold by M&S (28.6 mg/kg), Sainsbury's (21.1mg/kg) and Morrisons (19.2mg/kg) also contained relatively high levels, although Asda's version only had 8mg/kg. Food campaigners, who want nitrites banned, said the findings were 'alarming'. Cancer charities said the widespread use of nitrites showed that people should eat as little processed meat as possible, such as ham, bacon and sausages, because consumption increases the risk of bowel cancer. Cancer Research UK estimates that 13% of the 44,100 cases of the disease diagnosed each year in Britain are linked to processed meat. The analysis was commissioned by the Coalition Against Nitrites and undertaken by Food Science Fusion, an independent company, and the laboratory experts Rejuvetech. However, it found the levels of nitrites in all 21 products were well below the 150mg/kg legal limit. A spokesperson for the Coalition Against Nitrites, which includes food safety experts, medical specialists and politicians from most of the UK's major parties, said: 'It's nearly a full decade since the WHO classified nitrite-cured processed meats as a group one carcinogen and it is disappointing and alarming that we continue to see products on sale containing high levels of nitrites.' They added: 'Consumers are increasingly aware of the dangers of nitrites in processed meats, yet they continue to be exposed to their risks.' Wiltshire ham contains such high levels of nitrites because during the production process the pork is injected with nitrates, as also happens with cooked ham. However, Wiltshire ham is then soaked in a bath of brine and nitrites, to give it its red colour and protect it from deadly bacteria. At that point a chemical reaction occurs, which turns nitrates into nitrites. Prof Chris Elliott, the food safety expert who led the government-ordered investigation into the 2013 horsemeat scandal, said the research confirmed that nitrites remained 'unnecessarily high in certain UK meat products'. He added: 'Given the mounting scientific evidence of their cancer risk, we must prioritise safer alternatives and take urgent action to remove these dangerous chemicals from our diets.' Several food firms, including Finnebrogue and Waitrose, have responded to mounting concern about nitrites by producing bacon that is free of them. Dr Rachel Orritt, Cancer Research UK's health information manager, said: 'Eating processed meat increases the risk of bowel cancer. Nitrites … can lead to cell damage, which is one of the ways that processed meat is linked to bowel cancer. The less processed meat you eat, the lower your risk of bowel cancer.' Dr Giota Mitrou, the director of research and policy at the World Cancer Research Fund, said it recommended 'eating as little, if any, processed meat as possible'. A Tesco spokesperson said: 'We follow all UK and EU requirements, alongside guidance from the UK Food Standards Agency, to ensure we get the right balance of improving the shelf life and safety of our products with limited use of additives. 'The nitrites levels in all of our products, including our traditionally cured Finest Wiltshire ham, fall significantly below the legal limits in the UK and EU. 'Nitrates and nitrites are an important part of the curing process for some meats and they are used to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria that cause serious food poisoning.' Andrew Opie, the director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, which represents supermarkets, said: 'Food safety is paramount to our members and they implement strict policies with their suppliers to ensure all products comply with UK food legislation.'
