Diet, nutrition, and aggression

This article examines the theoretical and methodological issues relating to diet and aggressive behavior. Several areas are reviewed, including neurotransmitting imbalances, hypoglycemia and refined carbohydrate, bod sensitivities, reactions to food additives, and dietaly elements. Clinical evidence indicates that, for some persons, diet may be associated with, or exacerbate, such conditions as learning disability, poor irnpulse control, intellectual deficits, a tendency toward violence, hyperactivity, and alcoholism and/or drug abuse. These behaviors have been closely associated with, or are precursors to, criminal delinquent behavior. However, studies of the relationship between diet and behavior involving offender populations have not yielded evidence that a change in diet would result in significant reduction in aggressive or antisocial behavior.