Relationship Between Added Sugar Intake and Sleep Quality Among University Students: A Cross-sectional Study.

Eating foods high in added sugar has recently increased among people of all ages. This is expected to negatively affect health and life quality. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between added sugar intake and sleep quality among university students. A total of 100 randomly selected female students (19-25 years old) from Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia, participated in the study after applying exclusion criteria. Sample size was calculated with expected correlation of -0.4 between sugar intake and sleep quality, a power of 90%, and a type 1 error of 5%. Participants completed the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), sleep quality questionnaire, and 24-hour dietary recall. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 25, and the χ2 test was used for measuring the association between added sugar intake and sleep quality, where P <.05 was considered statistically significant. Results showed that only 17% of participants had good sleep. Data of the 24-hour dietary recall showed a significant association (P = .014) between consumption of added sugars and sleep quality. This is the first study to directly report on the effect of higher intake of added sugars on sleep quality. The study concluded that poor sleep quality was significantly related to higher added sugar intake.

Food and Mood: the Corresponsive Effect.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The question whether food choice and eating behavior influence the mood or are influenced by the mood has been inquisitive to scientists and researchers. The purpose of this review is to support or refuse the argument that mood is affected by food or vice versa. RECENT FINDINGS: The association between food and mood has been comprehensively elucidated in this review based on several studies that include participants from different ages, cultural backgrounds, and health status. The correlation among food, mood, and diseases such as diabetes mellitus, obesity, and depression was thoroughly investigated. The effect of different foods and nutrients on the mood was further explained. It is concluded that the mood significantly affects food intake and food choices. On the other hand, food also influences the mood, which affects the diseases either positively or negatively. Appropriate food choices play a significant role in mood enhancement. Advertisement is another crucial factor that negatively affects food choices and mood and contributes to many diseases. Understanding the interaction between food and mood can help to prevent or alleviate undesired health issues.