Deliquency, Criminal Behavior, and Diet

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First published March 19, 2023
Updated occasionally


Vitamin and mineral supplementation has been shown to reduce criminal behaviour in young adult male delinquents (~60% reduction).
Omega 3 supplementation reduces incidents at prison by 30% in adult criminals.

William J. Walsh founded the Health Research Institute to study links between behaviour and biology. In one of the Institute's first research projects, Walsh studied 24 pairs of brothers. Each pair lived together, and included one violent, delinquent sibling and one sibling with no academic or behavioural problems. Hair samples taken from the non-delinquent siblings revealed no abnormalities, while samples from the delinquent siblings showed two markedly abnormal patterns. One pattern of biochemical abnormalities ("type A") was seen in subjects who exhibited episodic violence, while another ("type B") was found in psychopathic subjects who showed no conscience or remorse, were pathological liars, and often tortured animals or set fires as children.
A controlled study by Walsh et al. of 192 violent and non-violent males found the same pattern: 92 of 96 violent subjects had type A or type B biochemical profiles, while only five of the 96 non- violent subjects had abnormal profiles. According to Walsh, type A subjects have elevated serum copper, depressed plasma zinc, high blood lead levels, and abnormal blood histamine levels. Hair analysis reveals an elevated copper-to-sodium ratio that Walsh calls "quite striking." Type B subjects have elevated blood histamine, low plasma zinc, and elevated lead levels. Walsh says that only of one percent of the general population, but up to 60% of studied prison populations, exhibit the type B pattern.
Could the violent acts these criminals committed have been prevented? Walsh says that treatments
aimed at remedying the biochemical abnormalities his studies associate with criminality and violence often are highly effective. He and his colleagues have treated a large number of violent and/or delinquent children and say that about 70% of their patients experience a marked drop in assaultive behaviour. They found that this treatment is complementary with existing behaviour modalities. Therapists told them that biochemical treatment often results in marked improvement in the effectiveness of behaviour modification, counselling, and other techniques.

Hypoglycemia refers to low blood sugar. Normally the body maintains blood sugar levels within a
narrow range trough coordinated effort of several glands and their hormones. Reactive hypoglycemia is characterized by development of symptoms three to five hours after a meal. Research shows a strong connection between hypoglycemic symptoms and criminal behaviour. Reactive hypoglycemia is a common finding in habitual violent and impulsive criminals. Reactive hypoglyceamia was shown to induce fire setting behaviour in one study. In several studies, involving over 6,000 juvinile delinquents, simple dietary intervention for the control of hypoglycemia has revealed very promising results. In the studies the experimental groups were placed on a sugar restricted diet while the juvinle delinquent in the control group were placed on a control diet. Antisocial behaviour was reduced by 45%. These studies were conducted for a period of 2 years.

Dyslexia is prevalent in criminals (41% to 78% have it)

Church attendance is linked to lower crime (adolescents who attend church weekly are 0.454x less likely to be arrested)

Men who are married are 35% less likely to engage in criminal activity (1940 to 1965 data) (36% reduction in a population wide study of norwegians (1999 married)), another study had greater effects in men married before 25 than after (1970's married) (perhaps not pertinent). 
Married people are less likely to be victims of crime (2.34x less likely to be a victim of any violent crime compared to single people (2022 USA numbers)) (look for stats for non-violent crimes (?)) 

Supplementing vitamins and minerals also increases IQ gains in the minority of children who have poor nutritional intake (16 point gain in 3 months) (as low IQ people commit more crimes; this also acts to reduce criminality)
It also helped learning-disabled children move forward much faster if they were behind in school performance (learning disabilities are a big risk factor for delinquency later in life) (in the study all children in special education classes became main-streamed, and their grades rose significant) (some children gained three to five years in reading comprehension within the first year of treatment) (some of the effect was permanent (and some stopped with nutrient discontinuation))
Low iron in teenage girls (25% have this) caused lower learning ability (effect size?) , and low vitamin A in the general population causes poorer learning also (50% of adults are getting less than 50% of the recommended amount of vitamin A) (effect size??)

Lithium helps with criminality and reflection on behaviours, it promotes calming brain chemistry.
Source: James Greenblatt from his Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD) presentation

Crime costs the US economy 3.2% of total GDP (620 billion: direct monetary loses), when including quality of life loses due to crime the cost goes from 620 billion (tangible costs) to 2.6 trillion (including intangible costs of feeling mistreated) (2017). Violent crime accounted for 85% of this total cost of crime. In tangible costs the most expensive crimes were: fraud, child maltreatment, physical assault, rape and sexual assault (combined), impaired driving involving a crash, murder (if including intangible costs it is: rape, sexual assault, assault, child maltreatment, impaired driving (considered non-violent), murder, that have the highest costs). Fraud, assault, vandalism, larceny/theft, impaired driving, rape, were the most commonly committed crimes.

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