Food, anti-social behavior and cognition Studies Marie-Laure Prevost – Erasmushogeschool Brussel [email protected]

Food, anti-social behavior and cognition

Studies

Marie-Laure Prevost – Erasmushogeschool [email protected]

Hyperactive, impulsive child -> adult offender?

• Problems of hyperactivity, impulsivity, attention or conduct in childhood are risk factors for becoming a chronic offender as an adult (Lynam, 1996).

• Prospective study followed up adolescents for up to 23 years (Satterfield and Schell, 1997)– Those displaying hyperactive symptoms and conduct

disorder in childhood were significantly more likely to:• have been arrested as both juveniles (46% vs. 11%) and

adults (21% vs. 1%) • and were more likely to have been incarcerated

Food and behavior

Studies:• Vitamine, mineral and essential fatty acid deficiency• Essential fatty acid defiency• High Sugar intake, High Glycaemic Index, High

Glycaemic Load• Foodintolerance

Vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids DEFIENCY


• Study anti-social behavior in imprisoned juveniles (Schoentaler et al., 1997)– Diagnosis ‘aggressive’: DMS-III criteria– Vitamine, mineral and essential fatty acid

supplementation– Results supplements: over 3 months the incidence

of violence was 28% less in those who received the supplements than the placebo group.• 131 violent acts before taking the supplements, 11

violent acts after taking the supplements.


• Study Gesch et al. (2002): – Results supplements: Reduction of 37% in serious

offences amongst the young offenders who received dietary supplements (fewer disciplinary accidents).


• Schoolchildren study (Schoenthaler and Bier, 2000)– Schoolchildren who had been disciplined at least

once in the 8-month period prior to the study– 4 month intervention– Results supplements: those with active tablets

were disciplined on average once, significantly less than the average of 1.9 times of those taking the placebo.


• Case studies (Kaplan et al., 2004)– 11 children with mood and behavioral problems

showed a positive response to supplementation.

Essential fatty acids DEFIENCY


• The brain is a very fatty organ with 60% of lipids on dry material (25% DHA/omega 3)

• Make the cell membranes of neurons fluid => communication with other cells is good.


• Study Stevens et al. (1996):– A greater number of behavioral problems and

temper tantrums were reported in boys with lower blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

• Study Burgess et al. (2004, 2005):– With children with ADHD, those with lower levels

of omega-3 had more problems with behavior, temper, learning, health and sleep.


• Study (Richardson and Puri, 2002, Richardson and Montgomery, 2005):– PUFA supplementation for children with ADHD:

give a positive response for dyslexia, reading, developmental coordination disorder.

High Sugar intakeHigh Glycaemic Index (GI) High Glycaemic Load (GL)

High sugar intake

• Study Bahr et al. (1984):– After overnight fast, boys receive a lemon-flavored

drink (13 teaspoons of sugar or artificial sweetener).

– Results: no effect on cognitive behavior, but the boys were less active 3h after consuming sucrose

• Study Benton (2002):– Poorer mood resulted several hours after eating

meals high in carbohydrate

Blood glucose and aggression

• Study Qolla Indians in Peru, “perhaps the meanest and unlikeable people on earth” (Bolton, 1973)– Many acts of violence seemed irrational +

displayed a strong craving for sugar + insatiable hunger.

– In those ranked as the most aggressive by the members of the community, there was a tendency for glucose to fall to low values.

Blood glucose and aggression

• Study Donahoe and Benton (1999):– Results: with young healthy adult females low

blood glucose levels is correlated with measures of aggressiveness.

Emotional rollercoaster

The Food and Mood handbook

Balanced blood sugar

High GI

• Glycaemic index: a measure of the rate at which it increases and maintains blood glucose levels. – Shortly after intake of a high GI food there is a

relatively rapid rise in blood glucose levels followed by a rapid decrease.

– Whereas after the intake of a low GI food there is a smaller rise in blood glucose followed by a more stable blood glucose concentration.

High GI

• A low GI meal provides a more constant level of blood glucose compared with the fluctuating glycaemic response to high GI breakfast

Breakfast and GI

• Eating breakfast influences both behavior and cognition in school (Pollitt and Mathews, 1998).

• Choose the right breakfast• Breakfast with a low glycaemic load is associated

with (Benton et al. (2007)):– Better memory– Sustained attention– Spent more time on task in the classroom– Fewer signs of frustration when performing difficult

tasks.

Breakfast and GI

• Study Mahoney et al. (2005):– Results: children had better spatial memory and

better auditory attention and girls exhibited better short-term memory, after consuming oatmeal.

– Oatmeal would provide slower and more sustained energy than the low-fiber high GL ready-to-eat breakfast cereal.

Breakfast and GI

• Study Jeanet Ingwersen (2007):– 64 children, age 6-11, England, 36 boys, 38 girls– High GI breakfast: 35 g Coco Pops + 125 ml skimmed

milk, Low GI breakfast: 25 g All Bran + 125 ml skimmed milk

– Testing: baseline (9.00), breakfast (9.30), test (9.40, 10.40, 11.40)

– Results: less decline of performance:• Ability to sustain attention and secondary memory (ability to

store, hold and retrieve information)• A smaller decline in cognitive performance in late morning

following consumption of the low GI breakfast than a high GI breakfast.

Other meals and GI

• The addition of fiber to slow the release of glucose has been reported to benefit memory (Nabb and Benton, 2006b).

• Post-lunch dip occurs even if no lunch has been eaten but can be exacerbated by a high-carbohydrate lunch (Monk, 2005).

• Second meal effect:– An evening meal with a low GL will improve glucose profile

that results form eating breakfast (Wolever et al., 1988)– A low GL breakfast will improve glucose tolerance after

lunch (Liljeberg et al., 1999)

Foodintolerances and anti-social behavior


• Food intolerance sources:– Malabsorption due to intestinal enzyme

deficiencies.– Adverse reactions to naturally occurring chemicals

in food such as histamine and tyramine.– Toxins and poisons (natural or additives)– Psychological: food aversion

Food intolerance

• Food intolerance and ADHD meta-analysis– Elimination diets:

• Results: 60% of the children respond positively• Most common not tolerated foods:

– Tartrazine: artifical colourant, yellow, E102» flan, pasteibakkersroom, vanille pudding, pickels, mosterd,

snoep, japanse aperitief koekjes, oranje frisdrank, kant-en klare couscous –en paella

– Sodium benzoate: preservative, E211, » salad dressings, carbonic acid-carbonated drinks, citric acid-

jam, fruitjuice): not tolerated by 79% of the children– Others: cows milk (64%), chocolate (59%), grapes (49%), wheat

(49%), oranges (45%), cows cheese (40%), egg (39%)


Study D. Benton (2007):1. Evidence that some children with ADHD and related

diagnoses respond adversely to food.2. There are dozens of foods to which a reaction has

been demonstrated; among the more common are wheat, dairy products and chocolate.

3. The pattern of foods to which a response occurs varies from individual to individual.

4. Reactions are not observed in all members of groups chosen because they share a common behavioral designation such as ADHD.

Jamie’s School Dinners (DVD):• Episode 2: Liam and behavior– chap 2 (00:00-02:05), chap 5 (03:20-05:00)

• Episode 4: teachers and behavior– chap 4 (03:56-04:30)

Youtube:– ‘Fed up with children’s behavior’ (school Wales)– ‘Children walking test tubes – nasty food additives’

(school Wales)– ‘Impact of Healthy Food 1 and 2’ (Appleton school,

US)

Documents

Food, anti-social behavior and cognition Studies Marie-Laure Prevost – Erasmushogeschool Brussel [email protected]