NCJ Number
57290
Journal
HUMANIST IN CANADA Volume: 8 Issue: 3 Dated: (AUGUST 1975) Pages: 2-9
Date Published
1975
Length
8 pages
Annotation
THE NUTRITIONAL BASES OF CRIME, PARTICULARLY VITAMIN DEFICIENCIES AND ALLERGIC REACTIONS TO CERTAIN FOODS, ARE DISCUSSED, ALONG WITH THE PROPER ROLE OF PUNISHMENT AND EFFECTIVE TREATMENT RESPONSES FOR OFFENDERS.
Abstract
MAN LIVES IN TWO ENVIRONMENTS: A PSYCHOSOCIAL ONE WHICH INCLUDES RELATIONSHIPS TO FAMILY, FRIENDS, THE COMMUNITY, AND SOCIETY AT LARGE; AND A BIOPHYSICAL ONE WHICH INCLUDES THE CHEMICALS AND COMPOUNDS SURROUNDING MAN AND CONSUMED BY HIM. CHANGES IN ONE'S PERCEPTION OF THE PSYCHOSOCIAL ENVIRONMENT BROUGHT ON BY CHANGES AFFECTING THE BIOPHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT CAN LEAD TO BEHAVIOR WHICH IS CRIMINAL, ALTHOUGH THE OFFENDER MAY SEE IT AS AN ENTIRELY APPROPRIATE REACTION TO A GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCE. TWO MAIN FACTORS UNDERLIE SUCH PERCEPTUAL CHANGES: (1) DISORDERS OF NUTRITION DUE TO A NEED FOR CERTAIN VITAMINS AND TRACE MINERALS, AND (2) IDIOSYNCRATIC OR ALLERGIC REACTIONS TO FOODS AND OTHER CHEMICALS IN THE ENVIRONMENT. SUCH CONDITIONS AS LOW BLOOD SUGAR (I.E., HYPOGLYCEMIA) OR VITAMIN IMBALANCES (E.G., B3 DEPENDENCE IN SCHIZOPHRENICS AND HYPERACTIVE CHILDREN) CAN CAUSE DISORDERING OF THE SENSES, MINOR ILLUSIONS, AND MAJOR HALLUCINATIONS WHICH MAY LEAD TO DEVIANT AND VIOLENT BEHAVIOR. BECAUSE OF THE SUBTLE AND PERVASIVE NATURE OF THESE FACTORS, IT IS UNREALISTIC TO EXPECT A SUDDEN SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF NUTRITION-RELATED CRIME. A FIRST STEP TOWARD EFFECTIVELY TREATING SUCH OFFENDERS WOULD BE TO EXAMINE CAREFULLY EVERY PERSON WHO COMMITS A HIGH-FEAR CRIME. SUCH EXAMINATIONS SHOULD INVOLVE AN ORTHOMOLECULAR APPROACH (I.E., ONE THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE PSYCHOSOCIAL AND THE BIOPHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT) WITH PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE POSSIBILITY THAT SOME FORM OF BRAIN DYSFUNCTION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OFFENDER'S CONDUCT. ALTHOUGH THE CONCEPT OF PUNISHMENT WOULD HAVE TO BE RETAINED, PUNISHMENT ALONE WOULD HAVE LITTLE EFFECT AND WOULD HAVE TO BE TEMPERED WITH APPROPRIATE TREATMENT. AGAIN, AS IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF THE CONDITION, AN ORTHOMOLECULAR APPROACH TO TREATMENT WOULD PROBABLY ACHIEVE THE GREATEST REDUCTION IN RECIDIVISM. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS INCLUDED. (KBL)