BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, ENGLAND, December 15, 2002: A study by researchers at the Buckinghamshire Aylesbury Young Offenders Institution found that adding nutrients to the inmates’ diet reduced antisocial behavior in the unit. The British Home Office backed the study conducted on behalf of Natural Justice, which involved 231 18- to 21-year-old men in the maximum-security jail. Half of the offenders received daily nutritional supplements, while the rest received placebos. Both groups included a comparable mix of anxious, depressed and aggressive individuals. Their antisocial behaviors, ranging from violent assaults to swearing at the guards, were recorded before and during the experiment. Published in the July issue of The British Journal of Psychiatry, the results show that the inmates on supplements committed 25 percent fewer offenses than those taking placebos. The major implication, researchers said, is that boosting a diet can be a cheap and effective way of preventing offenses. Dr. Gesch’s team reported inmates receiving supplements committed 35 percent fewer offenses than before starting the trial, compared with a seven per cent reduction in those taking placebos. However the improvement in behavior wasn’t necessarily long lasting. Shortly after the experiment ended, the prison staff reported that violence against them rose by 40 percent.
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