Brain Health And Supplements
Dr. Daniel Amen’s “Brain in the News" is a weekly commentary on how brain science and Brain health relates to the news. The brain is involved in everything we do. Wherever there are human stories the brain is involved. From the impact of war and natural disasters on the brain to drug abuse scandals to courtroom dramas to politics the brain is in the news. Supplements Decrease Violence If you’ve followed my work and the research we’ve done at the Amen Clinics for any length of time, you’ll know the importance I place on nutrition and how it affects brain health and function. A new study from England is underscoring this point. Here’s the story from London’s Independent… Prison Study to Investigate Link between Junk Food and Violence Some of Britain’s most challenging young prisoners are to be given food supplements in a study aimed at curbing violent behavior. Scientists from Oxford University say the effect of nutrition on behavior has been underestimated. They say increases in consumption of “junk” food over the past 50 years have contributed to a rise in violence. The university will lead the study in which 1,000 males aged 16 to 21 from three young offenders’ institutions in England and Scotland will be randomly allocated either the vitamin-and-mineral supplements or a placebo, and followed over 12 months. In a pilot study of 231 prisoners by the same researchers, published in 2002, violent incidents while in custody were cut by a more than a third among those given the supplements. Overall, offenses recorded by the prison authorities fell by a quarter. John Stein, professor of physiology at Oxford University, said: “If you could extrapolate from those results you would see a reduction of a quarter to a third in violent offenses in prison. You could reduce violent offences in the community by a third. That would have a huge economic benefit.” “Our initial findings indicated that improving what people eat could lead them to behave more sociably as well as improving their health. This is not an area currently considered in standards of dietary adequacy. We are not saying nutrition is the only influence on behavior but we seem to have seriously underestimated its importance.” Mark Walport, head of the Wellcome Trust, which is funding the three-year study, said: “If this study shows that nutritional supplementation affects behavior it could have profound significance for nutritional guidelines, not only within the criminal justice system but in the wider community - in schools, for example. We are all used to nutritional guidelines for our physical health but this study could lead to revisions taking account of our mental health and brain health.” The theory behind the trial is that when the brain is starved of essential nutrients, especially omega-3 fatty acids, which are a central building block of brain neurons, it loses “flexibility”. This shortens attention spans and undermines self-control. Even though prison food is nutritious, prisoners tend to make unhealthy choices and need supplements, the researchers say. Bernard Gesch, a senior scientist in the department of physiology and head of Natural Justice, a charity that investigates the causes of offending, said prisoners would be given the supplement with 100 per cent of the recommended daily amount of more than 30 vitamins and minerals plus three fish-oil capsules on top of their normal diet. “We are trying to rehabilitate the brain to criminal justice. The law assumes crime is a matter of free will. But you can’t exercise free will without involving your brain and the brain can’t function properly without an adequate nutrient supply. It may have an important influence on behavior. This is a positive approach to preventing the problems of antisocial and criminal behavior. It is simple, it seems to be highly effective and the only “risk” from a better diet is better brain health. It is a rare win-win situation in criminal justice” said Gesch. Daniel Amen, M.D.CEO, Amen Clinics, Inc.Distinguished Fellow, American Psychiatric Association PBS will air a special presentation:Change Your Brain, Change Your Life with Dr. Daniel Amen
|
