Prison study to investigate link between junk food and violence

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Prison study to investigate link between junk food and violence

 

By Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor

Tuesday, 29 January 2008

 

Supplements will be given to 1,000 prisoners

 

 

Some of Britain's most challenging young prisoners are to be given

food supplements in a study aimed at curbing violent behaviour.

 

Scientists from Oxford University say the effect of nutrition on

behaviour 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 £1.4m 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, offences 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 offences 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

behaviour 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 behaviour 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. "

 

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 research scientist in the department of

physiology and the director of Natural Justice, a charity that

investigates the causes of offending, said the prisoners would be

given the supplement containing 100 per cent of the recommended daily

amount of more than 30 vitamins and minerals plus three fish-oil

capsules totalling 2.25g 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 behaviour. "

 

" This is a positive approach to preventing the problems of antisocial

and criminal behaviour. It is simple, it seems to be highly effective

and the only " risk " from a better diet is better health. It is a rare

win-win situation in criminal justice. "

 

The Ministry of Justice is backing the three-year study, which will

start in May. David Hanson, the Prisons minister, said he hoped it

would shed further light on the links between nutrition and behaviour.

 

The Food Standards Agency says there is not enough evidence to show

harm from additives or benefit from fish-oil supplements.

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-

news/prison-study-to-investigate-link-between-junk-food-and-violence-

775176.html