The shootings on the college campuses in northern Illinois and last year in West Virginia by former students with psychiatric histories are tragic. We analyze the parents and interview them in hopes of finding clues, only to find that in most cases they are no different than you and me.
Why did this happen? Why are they almost always young men? Research in the last decade points to nutrition during fetal development and in early childhood as an important factor in determining behavior in early adulthood and throughout life.
A study looking at how common schizophrenia was in two small towns in Finland found that those infant boys, who consistently received their cod-liver oil supplementation to prevent rickets during the first year of life, cut their risk of schizophrenia in early adulthood by 78 percent. This difference was not seen among girls. This suggests that vitamin D, omega 3 fats, and vitamin A are important in brain development.
We know that the prevalence of schizophrenia among African American or Afro-Caribbean inmates is higher than that of Caucasian inmates. This is also true among veterans and immigrants from equatorial regions of the globe. These differences are seen in Europe and the United States and are not explained by adjusting for social or economic factors. Could this be vitamin D deficiency?
Supplementation of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6 fats) in a prison population in the United Kingdom significantly reduced the amount of aggressive behavior observed in the prison within 2 weeks.
Studies from the University of Southern California showed that children who are malnourished in B-vitamins and protein at age three are more likely to have outwardly aggressive behavior as older children and young adults.
Finally a number of studies have show that omega-3 fats, especially DHA, are important in brain development and in the development and manifestations of psychiatric disorders. In chapters 3 and 10 in the book we talk about diet and DHA (docosahexanoic acid) and how they work with vitamin D to ensure normal brain development.
Is it any wonder that the most violent areas of the world are where severe malnutrition and vitamin D deficiency are rampant? We need vitamin D, DHA and a diet with adequate protein balanced with generous produce rich in minerals and vitamins to ensure the health and happiness of our brains. The Vitamin D Cure is the prescription for generations of healthy brains.