Association between habitual MSG consumption and compulsive eating behaviors in university students: A cross-sectional study
- 1College of Medicine, Hebron University, Hebron, Palestine
- 2School of Medicine, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
- 3Faculty of Medicine, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine
Abstract
Background: Monosodium glutamate (MSG), a widely used flavor enhancer, increases food palatability and may influence eating behavior. Although considered safe from a toxicological perspective, its potential association with compulsive eating patterns remains unclear. University students are particularly vulnerable to irregular dietary habits and high consumption of ultra-processed foods. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 555 Palestinian university students aged 18–30 years. MSG intake was assessed using a composite dietary exposure scale and categorized into tertiles (low, moderate, high). Food addiction was measured using the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS), binge-eating severity using the Binge Eating Scale (BES), and perceived stress using the Perceived Stress Scale–4 (PSS-4). Logistic regression examined associations between MSG intake and food addiction, while linear regression assessed relationships with binge-eating severity and YFAS symptom counts, adjusting for age, gender, BMI, perceived stress, and academic year. Results: Food addiction was present in 24.7% of participants and increased across MSG tertiles (15.7% low vs. 33.0% high; p < 0.001). High MSG intake was associated with increased odds food addiction (adjusted OR = 2.75, 95% CI 1.63–4.65, p < 0.001). Higher MSG consumption was associated with greater binge-eating severity (β = 1.25, p < 0.001) and increased YFAS symptom counts, indicating a dose–response relationship. BMI and perceived stress were independent predictors of both outcomes. The adjusted model showed acceptable discrimination (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] = 0.71). Conclusions: Higher MSG intake was associated with increased food addiction symptoms and binge-eating severity among university students, suggesting frequent consumption of flavor-enhanced foods is a correlate of reward-driven eating behaviors, warranting further investigation.
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BibTeX
@article{jabry2026association,
title = {{Association between habitual MSG consumption and compulsive eating behaviors in university students: A cross-sectional study}},
author = {Lina K. Al Jabry and Abdallah Shawwa and Yomna Sarhan and Rola Issa and Omar Abweh and Haneen Qashqeesh and Hazem Alagha},
journal = {PLOS One},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0360433},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0360433},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Association between habitual MSG consumption and compulsive eating behaviors in university students: A cross-sectional study
AU - Lina K. Al Jabry
AU - Abdallah Shawwa
AU - Yomna Sarhan
AU - Rola Issa
AU - Omar Abweh
AU - Haneen Qashqeesh
AU - Hazem Alagha
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/04
JO - PLOS One
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0360433
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0360433
AB - Background: Monosodium glutamate (MSG), a widely used flavor enhancer, increases food palatability and may influence eating behavior. Although considered safe from a toxicological perspective, its potential association with compulsive eating patterns remains unclear. University students are particularly vulnerable to irregular dietary habits and high consumption of ultra-processed foods. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 555 Palestinian university students aged 18–30 years. MSG intake was assessed using a composite dietary exposure scale and categorized into tertiles (low, moderate, high). Food addiction was measured using the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS), binge-eating severity using the Binge Eating Scale (BES), and perceived stress using the Perceived Stress Scale–4 (PSS-4). Logistic regression examined associations between MSG intake and food addiction, while linear regression assessed relationships with binge-eating severity and YFAS symptom counts, adjusting for age, gender, BMI, perceived stress, and academic year. Results: Food addiction was present in 24.7% of participants and increased across MSG tertiles (15.7% low vs. 33.0% high; p < 0.001). High MSG intake was associated with increased odds food addiction (adjusted OR = 2.75, 95% CI 1.63–4.65, p < 0.001). Higher MSG consumption was associated with greater binge-eating severity (β = 1.25, p < 0.001) and increased YFAS symptom counts, indicating a dose–response relationship. BMI and perceived stress were independent predictors of both outcomes. The adjusted model showed acceptable discrimination (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] = 0.71). Conclusions: Higher MSG intake was associated with increased food addiction symptoms and binge-eating severity among university students, suggesting frequent consumption of flavor-enhanced foods is a correlate of reward-driven eating behaviors, warranting further investigation.
SN - 1932-6203
ER -