Association between habitual MSG consumption and compulsive eating behaviors in university students: A cross-sectional study

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.