Deadly Diet
By Carol Simontacchi
Bottom Line’s Daily Health News
Some would argue that Americans have "everything." If that's so, then why is our diet one of the most nutritionally bankrupt in the world? Our society is so in love with junk food that we simply refuse to see the problems it causes, even when we're confronted with mounting evidence of the negative impact that processed foods have on our health.
I was reminded of this when I read a study published last fall in The American Journal of Psychiatry. Over the course of 14 years, psychologists studied more than 1,000 children on Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean whose diet is generally similar to that of a Western diet. At age three, the children were tested for nutritional deficiencies, with follow-up tests at ages eight, 11 and 17 to measure intelligence and behavior. Over time, the scientists found a clear link between nutritional deficits, lower IQ and increased aggressive behavior -- the zinc, iron, vitamin B and protein deficiencies in the study subjects had an obvious effect on their brain development.
The study noted that there are implications for the US, where, for example, 7% of toddlers, 9% of adolescents and at least 16% of females suffer from iron deficiency. Here's what gets me: In an article I read about the study, one of the researchers poses the question, "At a societal level, should parents be thinking more about what kids are eating?" As my daughter would say, "Duh." But then again, it's not just about the impact of food on kids' behavior -- nutrition impacts everyone's behavior.
AT THE EXTREME: CRIMINAL NUTRITION
Taking nutrition and behavior one step further, experts point out that not only can poor nutrition lead to aggressive behavior, but nutritional therapy can be a boon to some people with aggression and behavior problems.
One of the most knowledgeable people in this field is Bill Walsh, PhD, chief scientist at the Health Research Institute and Pfeiffer Treatment Center in Illinois. Walsh is one of the authors of a study titled "Reduced Violent Behavior Following Biochemical Therapy," which measured the effectiveness of biochemical therapy (meaning vitamin, mineral, amino acid and other chemical supplementation) on 207 patients seeking outpatient treatment at the Pfeiffer Treatment Center for attention deficit disorder, conduct disorder, oppositional-defiant disorder and other behavior disorders. What they found: Of the 78% of patients who stayed with the program, 92% saw a reduction in assaultive behavior... and 88% saw a reduction in destructive behavior. In more than half the patients, the problems disappeared completely.
"We believe that we've identified a major cause of crime and violence," says Dr. Walsh, "because many of these people were headed to the penitentiary for serious problems." Consider that the US has the highest percentage of inmates of any country in the world -- our current prison population is well over two million inmates -- and when you add in the many individuals prone to violence who are not in prison, we are overwhelmed to see the importance of this connection.
Dr. Walsh is quick to point out that he doesn't feel that the problems with these patients are caused by diet alone. "In most cases, we believe (the basic deficiencies) were genetic," he explains, "and are then aggravated by bad diet. A junk-food diet can certainly exacerbate the condition." But Dr. Walsh also feels that, if diagnosed early on, the behavior problems could be managed almost completely.
Even in those children who aren't genetically predisposed to behavior problems, a diet high in nutrient-stripped processed foods can still lead to trouble. One example of how diet affects behavoir can be seen in a typical school.
CLEARING THE SCHOOL DAZE
Back in the late 1990s, Appleton Central Alternative School, in Appleton, Wisconsin, focused on students who were credit deficient, disruptive or truant. The school's 120 students were so problematic that there was a full-time police officer on staff as well as a full-time counselor. Then the administration changed the school's nutrition program.
"We were invited into the school," says Barbara Stitt, PhD, author of Food & Behavior (Natural Press) and one of the owners of Natural Ovens bakery, "and it was so out of control. We talked to the superintendent and had the candy and junk food removed from the vending machines. Then we put in a kitchen and cooks that knew how to prepare and serve fresh, whole foods."
Result: Discipline problems all but disappeared. Attendance skyrocketed. Academic performance improved. On a DVD titled "Impact of Fresh Healthy Foods on Learning and Behavior" that highlights a five-year study of the school's nutrition program, principal LuAnn Coenen said that after the program was put into place, her problems with dropouts, weapons, expulsions, drug use and suicides dropped to zero. The program had such an impact that it has since been introduced to the entire school district of 15,000 students. "The superintendent told us that if he had known then what he knows now, he would have made the change district-wide right from the start," Dr. Stitt says.
Time for a reminder: These students weren't being fed a "special" diet. They were simply enjoying the benefits of quality protein, fresh fruits and vegetables and whole-grain breads, with no artificial colorings, flavorings or sweeteners. (Plenty of fresh water and exercise is also part of the daily routine.) "It really is that basic," says Dr. Stitt. "It's just so logical when you think about it."
WHAT IT ALL MEANS
It's far too easy to say you are what you eat, but the mounting evidence shows that old cliché has never been more appropriate. These studies show that nutritional deficiencies caused by bad diet aren't just being linked to health problems -- they're likely behind many societal problems, from crime to learning difficulties, as well.
Carol Simontacchi, CCN, MS, author of The Crazy Makers: How the Food Industry Is Destroying Our Brains and Harming Our Children (Penguin) says quite simply, "We need to start eating real food." Daily Health News contributing editor, Andrew L. Rubman, ND, adds: "Adding basic nutritional supplementation to everyone's diet is similarly vital. Unfortunately, diet alone can not be relied upon to provide optimal control over this problem, especially since so many people are now at a nutritional deficit due to years of poor diet."
