Vol. 12, No. 4, 2006 Page 1
EVIDENCE MOUNTS FOR LINK BETWEEN DIET, CHILDREN'S BEHAVIOR
Prenatal or childhood malnourishment may
lead to bad behavior as well as poor health,
according to a new research review.
Jianghong Liu and Adrian Raine examined
clinical, laboratory, and epidemiological
studies, and say, "Different lines of evidence
support the view that poor nutrition
contributes to the development of child
behavior problems." Among the research they
cite:
- Children who experience "protein-energy
malnutrition" in infancy have significant
attention deficits, and those with
deficiencies of protein, zinc, and iron at
three years of age exhibit more
"externalizing" behaviors (such as aggression)
in childhood and adolescence.
- Studies link iron deficiency, which
affects up to half of children worldwide, to
both aggression and conduct disorder.
- Rats deprived of zinc during prenatal
development are more aggressive than controls,
and human studies show a link between zinc
deficiency and hyperactivity.
- Research indicates that deficiencies of
"micronutrients" can interact with exposure to
heavy metals to increase the risk of
antisocial behavior.
- Although findings are not consistent,
several animal and human studies indicate that
low levels of omega-3 fatty acids can increase
aggression.
Liu and Raine say there is evidence that
cognitive impairments due to prenatal or
early-childhood malnutrition may be at least
partially reversible. Their own research, they
note, shows that enrichment programs that
include better nutrition can significantly
reduce conduct disorder and early-adult
criminal behavior. They also cite the work of
Bernard Gesch
(see related article, Crime Times, 2002, Vol. 8, No. 3, Page 1),
who found that dietary supplements can
dramatically reduce antisocial acts in a
prison population. In addition, they point to
a study by Stephen Schoenthaler and I. D. Bier,
in which schoolchildren who received a vitamin-
mineral supplement for four months showed a 47%
reduction in antisocial behavior compared to
children who received a placebo.
Liu and Raine say malnutrition could affect
behavior directly—by altering brain cell
growth and development, changing
neurochemistry, or increasing vulnerability to
the effects of toxins—or indirectly, by
causing IQ reductions that in turn are
associated with behavior problems.
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"The effect of childhood malnutrition on
externalizing behavior," Jianghong Liu and
Adrian Raine, Current Opinion in
Pediatrics, Vol. 18, 2006, 565-70.
Address: Jianghong Liu, Department of
Psychology, University of Southern California,
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0375, jianghol@usc.edu.