While there is no substitute for teaching children appropriate behavior,
there have been several studies that have drawn attention to the important role
nutrition plays in childhood behavior. In the past 20 years, studies of young
people in juvenile correctional institutes have reported a reduction in violence
and serious antisocial behavior by almost half after nutritional changes were
made to their diets. A recent study was conducted to see if the same results
would be found among younger school-aged children.
For four months, 388 children ages 6 to 12 participated in this study.
Approximately half of the children were given a daily multivitamin-mineral
supplement that contained one half of the U.S. recommended daily allowances and
half were given a daily placebo. At the end of the study, antisocial behavior
was evaluated by reviewing school disciplinary records. The analysis showed that
the disruptive children who took the supplements had a 47 percent lower rate of
antisocial behavior than those who had taken placebos. Less discipline was
required to address issues like aggression towards other people, abuse of
property, refusal to work, uttering obscenities, or being disorderly,
disrespectful, or defiant. The authors suggest that poor nutrition may lead to
vitamin deficiencies, and that these deficiencies can impair brain function and
lead to antisocial behavior. The researchers conclude that correcting nutrient
intake, through diet or supplementation, may improve brain function and reduce
antisocial behavior.
The bottom line: it's smart to give all children, especially those with
antisocial behavior, daily multivitamin-mineral supplements. These
supplements are safe and affordable, and this simple measure may go a long way
to reducing the social and financial toll of unchecked antisocial behavior in
children.
