Tryptophan and Protein Deviation in Relation to Wellbeing: An Exploratory Study on University Students
Abstract
This study set out to investigate a possible link between wellbeing and a high-protein diet (measured by different levels of protein deviation), respectively a rich-tryptophan diet (measured by foods with different tryptophan content). This exploratory study used data collected from 20 students based on the 7-day food diary (to calculate: protein deviation, energy deviation, and additionally body mass index), a second instrument: food frequency questionnaire for foods A (rich in tryptophan) and foods B (low in tryptophan), and a third instrument: WHO-5 Wellbeing Index questionnaire. The study identified that there is an association that ignores the causality Goodman-Kruskal gamma (γ) Test, a symmetrical relationship between protein deviation and wellbeing (p≤0.05). Some significant differences are present: the students with low levels of wellbeing compared to those with high wellbeing have unbalanced eating habits and a greater protein deviation (p≤0.05); the students in the low wellbeing category with a below-normal protein level have a negative energy deviation and a diet low in tryptophan (p≤0.05) compared to those with an above-normal protein deviation. It was found some significant correlations that are worth exploring in the future in the case of over-normal protein deviation group like correlation between Body Mass Index (BMI) and Foods A (rich in tryptophan) and in the case of low wellbeing group correlation between protein deviation and Foods B (low in tryptophan), respectively energy deviation.
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