Nutrition Food and Behavior

1. Malnutrition at age 3 results in more hyperactivity and
   aggressive behavior in 8 year olds, increased externalizing
   problems in 11 year olds and greater motor activity and
   conduct disorders in 17 year olds. Lower IQ was associated
   with the negative behavior. “Poor nutrition, characterized
   by zinc, iron, vitamin B and protein deficiencies, leads to
   low IQ, which leads to later antisocial behavior,”... “These
   are all nutrients linked to brain development.” - Am J
   Psychiatry 161:2005-2013, November 2004
   
   
2. In a parolee study, Barbara Reed experienced an 85%
   success rate, when average success rates by probation
   officers were 15%- Food & Behavior, a Natural Connection
   
   Barbara Reed's success indicates, not only that nutrition
   food and behavior influence each other, but that the
   relation between nutrition food and behavior can be
   extremely significant.
   
   
3. Dr. S. Schoenthaler, in a study involving 803 New York
   schools, found that removing food additives and improving
   children’s nutrition resulted in huge increases in test
   scores, resulting in a 16% rise in academic ranking and
   a decrease in learning disabled children from 12% to 5%.
   
   
4. Improving children’s nutrition by banning food additives
   and replacing junk food snacks by fruit led to an increase
   in passing English scores from 23% to 64% at Wolney Junior
   school in New Addington, South London, UK- School leaps up
   the leagues table by Susie Steiner, The London Times
   
   
5. Before a Wisconsin high school replaced their cafeteria
   processed foods with nutritious fresh whole foods the
   students were out of control. Now there are no drop outs,
   weapons violations, expulsions and suicides. The new
   behavior has lasted for seven years. Another strong
   correlation between nutrition food and behavior is found
   here. For more information link here:
   
   http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2006/03/335318.shtml
   and video link here: http://video.google.com/videoplay?
   docid=3656274562048336840&q=healthy+foods
   
   
6. Reading the above article, did you notice mice on a
   processed food diet start eating each other? What does that
   tell us about the importance of children's nutrition food
   and behavior?
   
   
7. A study, which has significance for children's
   nutrition food and behavior is one in which unborn rats
   were deprived of zinc. This led to increased aggression,
   impaired learning and decreased brain size.- Nature 257, 221 - 222 (18 September 1975);doi:10.1038/257221a0
   
   
8. The UK prison trial at Aylesbury jail showed that when
   young men were fed multivitamins, minerals and
   essential fatty acids, the number of violent offences
   they committed in the prison fell by 37%.... As omega-6
   goes up, so do homicides in a linear progression.
   Industrial societies where omega-3 consumption has
   remained high and omega-6 low because people eat fish, such
   as Japan, have low rates of murder and depression.
   Americans have cell membranes higher in the less flexible
   omega-6 fatty acids, which appear to have displaced the
   elastic omega-3 fatty acids found in Japanese nerve cells.
   
   
9. Evidencing the influence of children's nutrition on
   aggressive behavior is the following information, (which is
   a direct bibliographical quote from http://www.hriptc.org/bib_avb.htm):
   
   

• Werbach, Melvyn: Nutritional influences on aggressive
  behavior. J Ortho Med 1995; v.7, no. 1. Evidence is
  emerging that iron deficiency among adolescent males has
  been shown to be directly associated with aggressive
  behavior.
  
  
• Schoenthaler, SJ, Bier ID:The effect of vitamin-mineral
  supplementation on juvenile delinquency among American
  school children:a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled
  trial. J Altern Complement Med 2000; 6(1):7-17. Numerous
  studies conducted in juvenile correctional institutions have
  reported that violence and serious antisocial behavior have
  been dramatically reduced after implementing nutrient dense
  diets.
  
  
• Walsh,W:Zinc deficiency, metal metabolism, and behavioral
  disorders. Report of the Health Research Institute 1995.
  This study focuses on persons born with a metal-metabolism
  disorder often resulting in episodic violence, hyperactivity
  and conduct disorder.
  
  
• Sever Y, Ashkenazi A, Tyano S, Weizman, A: Iron
  treatment in children with attention deficit hyperactivity
  disorder. A preliminary report. Neuropsych 1997; 35(4):178-80.
  A study of 14 boys aged 7-11 years using iron for
  therapeutic treatment of hyperactivity. The report
  recommends further study based on the finding that
  increased blood iron resulted in the reduction of aggressive
  behaviors.
  
  
• Department of Family Medicine, Pomeranian Medical
  Academy, Poland: The effects of magnesium physiological
  supplementation on hyperactivity in children with ADHD.
  Mag Res 1997; 10(2):149-56. The report from this institute
  states that dietetic factors can play a significant role
  in the origin of ADHD and that magnesium deficiency can
  result in disruptive behaviors.
  
  
• Schoenthaler S: Vitamins Against Crime: supplementation
  and antisocial behavior in institutions. Medical Nutrition
  1990; 34-37. Brain function requires adequate nutrition,
  and correction of chronic undernutrition can improve
  antisocial behavior. Researchers have found that vitamin
  and mineral tests can be a good indicator of violent
  behavior.
  
  
• Sanstead H: A brief history of the influence of trace
  elements on brain function. J Clin Nutrit 1986; 43:293-98.
  Historically iron, copper, manganese and zinc deficiency
  have been associated with mental impairment. Manifestations
  of such deficiencies include confusion, violence, dullness
  and death.
  
  
• Schoenthaler S: Applied nutrition and behavior. J
  Applied Nutr 1991;43(1):31-39. This research showed that
  nutrient dense diets in 813 state facilities resulted in
  significantly improved conduct. The distribution of vitamin
  and mineral supplements was a significant factor in
  promoting less violent behavior.
  
  
• Schrauzer G, Vroey E: Effects of nutritional lithium
  supplementation on mood. Biological Trace Element Res 1994;
  40:89-101. The results of an intensive study of former drug
  users, violent offenders or those with a history of
  domestic violence assert that lithium supplementation has a
  mood improving and stabilizing effect. Authors suggest that
  a nutritional lithium supplement may be a valuable drug in
  violence and suicide prevention programs.
  
  
• Lonsdale D, et al: J of Advancement of Medicine 1994; 7
  (3):171-180. A review of the potential for high calorie
  malnutrition as a link for senseless violence and crime. The
  author asserts that if it is true that body chemistry plays
  a role in abnormal behavior, that it is largely a waste of
  time to treat violent criminals by incarcerating them and
  ignoring the critical factor of their diet.
  
  
• Walsh W, et al.:Elevated blood copper/zinc ratios in
  assaultive young males. Physiology and Behavior 1997;
  62(2)327-329. Stresses the importance of the study of
  different metal ratios and their association with behavior
  in an effort to identify those with increased risk.
  Improvement in biochemistry in these individuals is seen
  as very beneficial.
  
  
• Carney MWP:Vitamin deficiency and mental symptoms.
  British Journal of Psychiatry 1990;156:878-882. Study
  reveals that 53% of unselected patients admitted to
  psychiatric hospital unit were vitamin deficient. Vitamin
  B deficiency has been associated with neuropsychiatric
  disorders and depression. Additionally, folic acid
  deficiency has been linked to affective illnesses.
  
  
• Gottschalk L, et al.:Abnormalities in hair trace
  elements as indicators of aberrant behavior. Comprehensive
  psychiatry 1991; 32(3):229-237. The authors suggest that
  abnormal trace mineral metabolism may be involved in
  aggressive behavior and that careful mineral analysis could
  be effective in identifying those who are predisposed to
  such behavior.
  
  
• Rosen GM, et al.:Iron deficiency among incarcerated
  juvenile delinquents. J Adolesc Health Care 1985;6:419-423.
  This study from 1985 can be viewed as one of the early
  looks at the effects of iron deficiency and abnormal
  behavior. Through research performed in juvenile detention
  facilities, a high prevalence of iron deficiency was found
  among both male and female inmates. The study suggests
  further research into the problem of behavior issues and
  iron deficiency.
  
  
• Lead Exposure and Child Behavior. American Journal of
  Public Health 1992; 82(10):1356-1359. This study evaluated
  blood lead levels of young children. The group with the
  highest levels of lead present in blood samples was found
  to score the highest in Total Problem Behavior Score
  checklists.
  
  
• Stevens L., et al:Phospholipids influence behavior. The
  Nutrition Report 1996;38:(May-June). A study performed on
  equal number of young boys, half with low fatty acid
  measures, showed that behavior problems were significantly
  higher in the study group with the lower acid levels.
  Greater number of health and learning problems occurred in
  the lower level group as well.
  
  
• Magnesium reduces hyperactivity. Autism Research Review
  1998;12(2):4. Children in this study were ages 7 to 12.
  After a 6-month period, the control group, which received
  no magnesium supplementation, was found to have behavior
  that worsened, whereas the other children receiving
  magnesium supplementation therapy had statistically
  improved results in behavioral assessment scales.
  
  
• Walsh W, et al.:Elevated blood copper/zinc ratios in
  assaultive young males. Physiol Behav 1997;49(1):327-329.
  Research spanning a period of 20 years has revealed abnormal
  trace metal concentrations in violence prone young males
  3-20 years of age. This study tested the validity of the
  observation that young assaultive males have elevated blood
  copper/zinc levels when compared to those with no history
  of assaultive behavior.
  
  
• Schmidt K, et al.:Clinical ecology treatment approach
  for juvenile offenders. J Behav Ecology:Biosocial
  1981:2(1). It was found through this study that hair copper
  levels of young males classified as delinquent, was found
  to be at a higher level than lab norms.
  
  
• Lonsdale D, Schamberger R. Red cell transketolase as an
  indicator of nutritional deficiency. Am J Clin Nutr 1980;33
  (2):205-211. In a study of patients with biochemical
  evidence of thiamine deficiency related to junk food diets,
  the adolescents especially were found to be impulsive,
  irritable, aggressive and angered easily.
  
  
• Schrauzer GN, Shrestha KP: Lithium in drinking water
  and the incidences of crimes, suicides and arrests related
  to drug addictions. Biol Trace E.em Res 1990;25(2):105-113.
  Data collected from 27 counties in Texas, when adjusted
  for population density, show that the incidence of
  homicide, suicide and rape were significantly high in
  areas where the drinking water contained little or no
  lithium. Results of this study suggest that low level doses
  of lithium have a beneficial effect on human behavior.
  
  
  

1. Vitamins, supplements and healthy meals significantly
   decrease aggressive and, particularly, violent behavior
   making schools and prisons safer. Such research is important
   since all three variables of nutrition food and behavior
   were studied.
   
   
2. Reversing a long standing position, the Journal of
   the American Medical Association advised medical doctors
   to recommend that all their patients take a muliplevitamin
   pill daily. This is one of the rare times the American
   Medical Association admitted the relationship between
   nutrition food and behavior.
   
   
3. Despite the undeniable connection between food additives
   and aggression, authorities continue to avoid pursuing child
   nutrition food and behavior interventions. For more information,
   regarding food additives and nutrition food and behavior,
   click here.
   
   
4. Despite studies indicating fluoride causes neurological
   problems, many authorities ignore this danger when it comes
   to children's nutrition food and behavior.
   
   
5. Toxic metals continue to be overlooked in developing
   children’s nutrition interventions to decrease aggressive
   behavior. Toxic metal's negative influence on nutrition
   food and behavior takes second place the profit motive.
   Our children pay the price.
   
   
6. A mindset that children's problems are caused either by
   bad parenting or an abnormal brain prevents interventions in
   children's nutrition food and behavior that could prevent
   negative child responses.
   
   
7. The huge profits, involved in prescribing drugs to treat
   behavioral problems, reinforces this mindset against
   children’s nutrition food and behavior interventions.
   
   
8. Improving children’s nutrition in schools has led to
   huge increases in test scores further underscoring the
   relationship between nutrition food and behavior.
   
   
9. Since supplements improve behavior and test scores, one
   must wonder what result would be achieved, regarding
   children's nutrition food and behavior, if both the addition
   of supplements and the eating of salubrious foods were
   consistently followed?