Aggression, Disruptive Behavior, And Diet
Experts have been calling for research on the causes
, and the National Research Council recommends identifying genetic and biological factors of "violence-prone" children. (2) However, genetic factors do not change in one generation, and cannot explain the whole story. It is time to begin paying attention to research being done in another direction. As long ago as the 1980s, studies in both schools and jails dramatically showed that a diet that removes additives and enhances nutrition brings significant improvement in behavior and academic performance.
In 1985 Dr. Stephen Schoenthaler published a series of studies on 12 juvenile correctional facilities, housing 8,076 young offenders. (3) Just as he showed in the school studies (page 11), not all the children improved, but 20% of them made such a dramatic recovery that the total of "deviant behaviors" for all the children fell by 47%.
At a Tidewater, VA detention facility, behavior problems fell 48% following dietary changes: Violence declined 33%, theft dropped 77%, etc. (4, 5)
A controlled study of 1,382 youths at three Los Angeles County probation detention centers found a 44% reduction in bad behavior,(6, 7, 8) and a northern California probation department facility making similar dietary changes (9) found that violence fell 25% and "horseplay" declined 42%. In both these California institutions, suicide attempts fell 44%.
Animal studies (10, 11, 12, 13) on the petroleum-based antioxidant preservative BHA, BHT, and TBHQ have long shown them to cause decreased learning and grooming, and increased activity, developmental delays and aggression. Other studies (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22) have shown these preservatives to be carcinogenic as well.
Isn't it time to simply replace these three preservatives with others equally available but less harmful? Instead, in efforts to reduce trans fats, we have greatly increased the use of these chemicals in food oil. We will all have to pay the piper in the form of increased cancers, increased violence, increased school problems, and decreased academic performance.
Again, studies (23, 24, 25) have shown that violence-prone males have abnormal copper-to-zinc ratios, and that 75% of young criminals have allergy and nutritional problems. In 1997 and 1998, Bennett showed that when treated appropriately by diet and nutritional intervention, most young offenders improve and never re-offend. Even earlier, a chemist in the UK had found that children with ADHD lost zinc through their urine when exposed to Yellow #5 and #6, resulting in a variety of symptoms, including aggression and violence. (26, 27)
Monkeys fed soy formula (28, 29) (which has much more manganese than breast milk) develop neurological and behavior problems. Some violent adolescents have been found to have high levels of manganese in their hair.
In 1989, the Kellogg Report (30) said, "Nutrition, lifestyle choices and the state of our environment hold solutions to many of the crises which beset society." They go on to say, "Many who readily accept the link between diet and heart disease or other chronic physical conditions, find it hard to imagine that nutrition could have a direct and determining effect on human behavior and personality dysfunctions."
A more recent review of the literature on violence discusses cholesterol and hormone levels, nutritional deficits, prenatal/postnatal exposure to metals, smoking and other toxins, iron, zinc, neurotoxins, brain injury, and the family environment. (31)
Organizations and families dealing with violent children (and adults) must begin to consider the role of foods, additives, heavy metal exposure, essential fatty acid levels, vitamins, and other dietary factors.
Research Footnotes:
(1) NY Times, Nov.13, 1992, -- Study Cites Role of Biological and Genetic Factors in Violence
(2) Ibid
(3) Schoenthaler -- Institutional Nutritional Policies and Criminal Behavior, Nutrition Today 1985; 20(3); 16.
(4) Schoenthaler -- Diet and Crime: An empirical Examination of the Value of Nutrition in the Control and Treatment of Incarcerated Juvenile Offenders, International Journal of Biosocial Research 1983: 4(1): 25-39.
(5) Schoenthaler -- Types of Offenses Which Can be Reduced in an Institutional Setting Using Nutritional Intervention: A Preliminary Empirical Evaluation, International Journal of Biosocial Research 1983; 4(2); 74-87.
(6) Schoenthaler -- The Impact of a Low Food Additive and Sucrose Diet on Academic Performance in 803 New York City Public Schools. International Journal of Biosocial Research 1986, 9(2); 185-195
(7) Schoenthaler -- Applied Nutrition and Behavior. Journal of Applied Nutrition, November 1, 1991, Vol 43.
(8) See http://www.school-lunch.org
(9) Schoenthaler -- The Northern California Diet-Behavior Program: An Empirical Examination of 3,000 Incarcerated Juveniles in Stanislaus County Juvenile Hall, International Journal of Biosocial Research 1983: 5(2); 99-106.
(10) Meyer -- Behavioural and Developmental Effects of Butylated Hydroxytoluene Dosed to Rats in Utero and in the Lactation Period. Toxicology, 1980; 16(3): 247-58.
(11) Stokes -- The Effect of Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene on Behavioral Development of Mice. Developmental Psychobiology 1974 Jul; 7(4): 343-50.
(12) Tanaka --Three Generation Toxicity Study of Butylated Hydroxytoluene Administered to Mice. Toxicology Letters 1993 Mar; 66(3): 295-304.
(13) Zoccarato -- Inhibition by Some Phenolic Antioxidants of Ca2+ Uptake and Neurotransmitter Release from Brain Synaptosomes. Biochemical & Biophysical Research Communications, 1987 Jul 31; 146(2): 603-10.
(14) Bauer -- Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) Induction of Pulmonary Inflammation: A Role in Tumor Promotion, Experimental Lung Research, 2001 Apr-May; 27(3): 197-216.
(15) Bauer -- Toll-Like Receptor 4 in Butylated Hydroxytoluene-Induced Mouse Pulmonary Inflammation and Tumorigenesis. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2005 Dec 7; 97(23): 1778-81.
(16) Kahl -- Synthetic Antioxidants: Biochemical Actions and Interference with Radiation, Toxic Compounds, Chemical Mutagens and Chemical Carcinogens. Toxicology 1984 Dec; 33(3-4): 185-228
(17) Kahl --Toxicology of the Synthetic Antioxidants BHA and BHT in Comparison with the Natural Antioxidant Vitamin E. Z Lebensm Unters Forsch, 1993 Apr; 196(4): 329-38.
(18) NIH 2005 -- Eleventh Report on Carcinogens, http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/roc/eleventh/profiles/s027bha.pdf
(19) Sarafien -- Synergistic Cytotoxicity of Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol and Butylated Hydroxyanisole. Toxicology Letters 202 Jul 21; 133(2-3): 171-9.
(20) Sasaki -- The Comet Assay with 8 Mouse Organs: Results with 39 Currently Used Food Additives. Mutation Research 2002 Aug 26; 419(1-2): 103-19.
(21) Thompson -- Studies on the Mechanism of Enhancement of Butylated Hydroxytoluene-Induced Mouse Lung Toxicity by Butylated Hydroxyanisole. Toxicology & Applied Pharmacology 1988 Oct; 96(1): 122-31.
(22) Thompson -- Cytotoxicity of Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene in Isolated Rat Hepatocytes, Biochemical Pharmacology 1988 Jun 1; 37(11): 2201-7,
(23) Walsh -- Elevated Blood Copper/Zinc Ratios in Assaultive Young Males. Physiology & Behavior 1997 Aug; 62(2): 327-9.
(24) Bennett -- The Health of Criminals Related to Behaviour, Food, Allergy and Nutrition: A Controlled Study of 100 Persistent Young Offenders, Journal of Nutritional & Environmental Medicine, 1997 Dec. 7(4): 359-366.
(25) Bennett -- The Shipley Project: Treating Food Allergy to Prevent Criminal Behaviour in Community Settings, Journal of Nutritional & Environmental Medicine, 1998 Mar. 8(1): 77-83.
(26) Ward -- The Influence of the Chemical Additive Tartrazine on the Zinc Status of Hyperactive Children: A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study. J. Nutr Med , 1990, 1(1): 51-58.
(27) Ward -- Assessment of Chemical Factors in Relation to Child Hyperactivity. Journal of Nutritional & Environmental Medicine (Abingdon); 1997; 7(4), 333-342.
(28) Cockell -- Manganese Content of Soy or Rice Beverages is High in Comparison to Infant Formulas, Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 2004 Apr; 23(2): 124-30.
(29) Golub -- Neurobehavioral Evaluation of Rhesus Monkey Infants Fed Cow's Milk Formula, Soy Formula, or Soy Formula with Added Manganese. Neurotoxicology & Teratology, 2005 Jul-Aug; 27(4): 615-27.
(30) The Kellogg Report -- The Impact of Nutrition, Environment & Lifestyle on the Health of Americans, Institute of Health Policy & Practice, Bard College Center, NY. 1989.
(31) Liu -- Biosocial Bases of Aggressive and Violent Behavior -- Implications for Nursing Studies, International Journal of Nursing Studies, 2005 Feb; 42(2): 229-41.
by: Shula Edelkind
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