Mood Behaviour and Nutrition

Each of us has innate biochemical factors which influence personality, behavior, mental health, immune function, allergic tendencies, etc. Scientists tell us that the number of different genetic combinations possible in a child from the same two parents exceeds 42 million. It's interesting to note that we do not possess a combination of characteristics from our parents, but instead have a diverse collection of characteristics from many ancestors on both sides of the family (1).
Because of genetic differences in the way our bodies process foods, most of us are quite deficient in certain nutrients and overloaded in others. Even with an ideal diet, most of us have certain nutrients that are at very low levels with many times the RDA required to achieve a healthy balance. The nutrients in overload must be carefully avoided in vitamin supplements or serious health problems can develop. After a group of scientists under the Walsh Research Institute studied the biochemistry of 10,000 persons, they learned that the greatest mischief is usually caused by nutrients that are stored in excessive amounts, rather than those at depleted levels. The most common nutrients in overload include copper, iron, folic acid, calcium, methionine, manganese, choline, and omega-6 fatty acids. Of course, these same nutrients may be in deficiency in other persons (1)
Therefore giving a “one size fits all” vitamin is a bit like trying to determine the ideal shoe size for the population. The truth is that multiple vitamins and minerals are too indiscriminate, and may do as much harm as good.
The brain is a chemical factory which produces serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and other brain chemicals 24 hours a day. The only raw material for these syntheses is nutrients, namely amino acids, vitamins, minerals, etc. If the brain receives improper amounts of these nutrient building blocks, we can expect serious problems with our neurotransmitters.
More and more studies are being produced to demonstrate this. A recent study for problematic aggressive and violent behaviour disorders in male children and adolescents revealed that nutrient therapy appeared well tolerated, with favourable effects. The study included 32 males. It appeared effective in the reduction of parent reported aggressive and violent behaviours, and showed improvement in family functioning (2). Further research in the form of a double-blinded, randomized controlled trial is required to verify these initial positive observations.
If you would like further advice on this subject please see one of our Drs of Chiropractic and Kinesiology at Sprouting Health.
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References1. Walsh, William. Biochemical Individuality and Nutrition. Walsh Research Institute.
2. Hambly, J.L., Francis, K., Khan, S., Gibbons, K.S., Walsh, W.J., Lambert, B., Testa, C. and Haywood, A., 2017. Micronutrient therapy for violent and aggressive male youth: an open-label trial. Journal of child and adolescent psychopharmacology, 27(9), pp.823-832.