Just as overweight individuals are often seen as greedy or lazy (that's not a view I hold myself, I should add), prison inmates and young delinquents are generally seen as "bad."
But are they? Could, for instance, their errant behavior and criminal ways be related to something more physiological than social or psychological? Say if someone were to be given a hallucinogenic drug and became, as a result, paranoid and aggressive, maybe even violent, does that make him a "bad" person?
Fortunately, most people don't spend their lives under the influence of psychoactive drugs. But many of us might be chronically influenced by more subtle imbalances that can cause brain function to go awry.
Quite of lot of people find their mood changes, for example, when blood sugar levels (and therefore brain sugar levels) take a dive. Some will experience this at the end of the afternoon and find it induces a kind of apathy or listlessness that can quash any zest for life.
On the other hand, others find that if they don't maintain regular fuelling of the body through regular eating, they can find themselves feeling increasingly anxious, irritated, and even "shaky" as a result. Some find that if they don't eat more or less "on time," they are prone to spectacular emotional outbursts. Are these people "bad" too?
And what about women suffering from PMS? Or children who climb the walls after ingesting certain food additives?
I use these examples to demonstrate that though behavior is subject to a number of potential influences including social and psychological factors, some others are most definitely physical in nature.
I was very pleased to read, therefore, that a study is getting underway here in the U.K., which seeks to determine whether young offenders might be helped by improving their nutritional status. The trial, which will involve about 1,000 young men aged 16–21, will run over three years, during which time the participants will be treated with either multivitamins and minerals, along with added omega-3 fats, or with a placebo.
The idea that such a simple intervention may reduce criminal tendencies and help in the rehabilitation of young offenders may seem far-fetched, but the concept is supported by a study published in 2002 [1]. In that research, nutritional supplementation in young offenders was found to produce 37 percent fewer serious offences involving violence and 26 percent fewer offences overall.
The new study will extend the scope of this type of research in terms of the numbers of people involved and the time over which the research is conducted.
Some may hold the view that this sort of nutritional intervention is inappropriate: Why not just feed offenders decent food? For me, there is certainly merit in this position, but even if such food were made available to individuals, there is no assurance that they'd eat it.
So, while I don't believe nutritional supplements are a replacement for a healthy diet, I do believe there's an argument for taking a pragmatic approach. One thing that's worth bearing in mind is that the therapy being tried here is likely to be, if nothing else, safe, and non-toxic.
Bearing in mind the initial positive research and low risk of this intervention, not to mention the huge personal and social benefits it may bring, I reckon not undertaking further research in this area would be, well, criminal.
Reference:
1. Gesch CB, et al. Influence of supplementary vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids on the antisocial behavior of young adult prisoners
The British Journal of Psychiatry 2002; 181:22-28
Dr. John Briffa is a London-based doctor and author with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine.
Dr. Briffa's Web site
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