Loads of people are interested in Mounjaro because of the weight loss it can drive. After using it for over a year, you could lose up to 25% of your starting weight.
But did you know that it can affect your health in other ways, too? For one, it can help keep your blood sugar in check, and may also have benefits for your heart, metabolism, and more. Here’s what you need to know.
Key health benefits of Mounjaro
Mounjaro weight loss injections are approved as a treatment for weight loss and type 2 diabetes. So, its main benefits are related to those health concerns.
Weight loss support
First up, we have perhaps Mounjaro’s best-known benefit: Supporting weight loss.
Here, Mounjaro works by making you feel full, so you eat less. And it’s very effective. In the clinical trial SURMOUNT-4, people without diabetes who took Mounjaro for 88 weeks lost 25.3% of their starting weight on average, compared to 9% in the placebo group.
Other studies show similar results. In one trial that lasted 72 weeks, the mean loss in people taking the highest dose of Mounjaro was 22.5%.
Heads up: In all these studies, Mounjaro was taken alongside a healthy diet and regular exercise. That’s how it’s meant to be used—and it might not work as well if you take it on its own.
Blood sugar control
Your blood sugar can be too high if you have type 2 diabetes and/or insulin resistance, which is when your body doesn’t react well enough to the effects of insulin.
If left unchecked, high blood sugar can lead to all sorts of issues, including damage to your nerves, kidneys and eyes. It can also contribute to weight gain, because the excess sugar can be stored as fat.
Mounjaro helps control blood sugar levels by stimulating the pancreas to produce more insulin and telling the liver to make less glucose. As a result, the risk of complications associated with high blood sugar levels is reduced.
Additional Mounjaro health benefits
Appetite regulation
Mounjaro has been shown to reduce appetite and food intake in both people with and without diabetes. It keeps cravings at bay via its effects on the gut (it slows down digestion) and by sending signals to your brain.
This may make it easier to forge healthy habits you’ll stick to. It might also help to quiet “food noise”—constant and sometimes intrusive thoughts about food. Because of this, people taking Mounjaro often feel more able to eat less and make healthier food choices.
Heart health
Thanks to Mounjaro’s effects on blood sugar and weight loss, it could boost your heart health, too. Reaching a healthy weight can improve your blood pressure and cholesterol, and if you have diabetes, controlled blood sugar can reduce your risk of heart disease.
Research into Mounjaro’s benefits for the heart is ongoing. But from results we have so far, it’s been shown to lower blood pressure and levels of cholesterol in the blood.
Metabolic health
Insulin resistance is often linked to type 2 diabetes but it’s also associated with being overweight.
We explained earlier that insulin resistance can contribute to weight gain—but did you know that weight gain can also make it worse? This creates a vicious cycle. As you gain weight, you become more resistant to insulin, which can make you gain more weight…and so on.
By helping with weight loss, Mounjaro can improve your sensitivity to insulin.
Addiction
If Mounjaro can reduce food cravings, could it help with other addictive behaviours, such as alcohol use disorder?
Researchers are currently looking into it. There’s data to suggest that both Mounjaro and Wegovy, another weight loss injection, can dampen the urge to drink, reduce cravings and help people to drink less. Here’s what you need to know about alcohol and Mounjaro.
Early research & cancer
Emerging studies are exploring whether tirzepatide could influence breast-cancer biology. Read our explainer: Mounjaro and breast cancer: What does the latest research say?
Who can benefit from Mounjaro?
Mounjaro is meant for people with type 2 diabetes who need help controlling their blood sugar and for those struggling to lose weight.
To be prescribed Mounjaro for weight loss, you need to have a BMI of 30 or higher, or at least 27 if you’ve also got another condition related to your weight (like high blood pressure, for example). Weight loss can also help with other conditions such as sleep apnoea, asthma, osteoarthritis, chronic pain and PCOS.
You should only take Mounjaro if your provider says it’s safe. They’ll decide whether to prescribe it based on your health goals, current health and medical history—including whether starting with a lower Mounjaro dose and increasing gradually could improve your results.
Mounjaro side effects
Yep—Mounjaro comes with side effects. But usually, they’re nothing to worry about and clear up on their own.
The most common symptoms are nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach pain, and constipation. They may affect over 1 in 10 people on Mounjaro.
A small number of people report mood changes like anxiety when starting Mounjaro, though research shows no direct link.
Is Mounjaro right for you?
Ready to take the next step in your weight loss journey? We know that trying a new medicine can feel overwhelming or even scary. But if you’ve tried to lose weight another way and didn’t see the results you wanted, weight loss medications like Mounjaro can be a great shout.
And you definitely don’t have to go through the process alone. Through our weight loss programme, you’ll get monthly medication plus personalised support from our team of coaches.
Choosing the right weight loss journey for you is a personal decision. But here’s how Voy compares to other providers.
Take our short quiz to see if you’re eligible for the programme, it’ll only take a few minutes.
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