Omega-3 to reduce aggressive and violent behavior

Fewer attacks of aggression and violence with omega-3 supplements

The intake of supplements containing Omega-3, combined with vitamins and minerals, can inhibit violent and aggressive behaviors. This is suggested by a study published in the journal Aggressive Behavior, where experts from the Dutch Ministry of Justice found a 34% decrease in violent incidents among young inmates in prisons in the Netherlands. According to the authors, this finding could have important practical implications and the possibility of limiting aggressive behaviors through a nutrition-based approach deserves further study.

The study

The research involved 221 inmates aged between 18 and 25 years, divided into 2 groups. For a period of 1-3 months, 115 of these young men were given a dietary supplement containing vitamins, minerals, and Omega-3, while the other 106 participants took a placebo. Prison staff observed a 34% reduction in violent incidents only among the inmates who took the supplement. In contrast, violent episodes among the control group increased by 14%. Other analyses conducted by the authors did not detect a significant reduction in psychiatric disorders and when inmates were asked to self-assess their aggression and general health status, participants reported no particular effects.

Omega-3, confirmed effectiveness

The results obtained in this study confirm data from research conducted in the United Kingdom by Bernard Gesch at the University of Oxford, published in 2002 by the British Journal of Psychiatry. The English researchers demonstrated that Omega-3 intake and other nutrients reduce violent actions committed by young offenders by about 39%. According to experts, these studies suggest that choosing a proper diet could reduce aggression and that the use of these fatty acids to limit violent episodes could become an important approach to the problem. The Oxford University researchers have started a new controlled study involving as many as 1,000 individuals to confirm the data obtained so far.

Not just assaults

The observed link between nutrition and aggressive behavior can be explained by the correlation between depression, suicides, and homicides and the need for Omega-3 for brain health, demonstrated by various studies. According to the authors of the Dutch study, the other known mental health and cognitive benefits deriving from Omega-3 intake make the prospect of controlling aggression by regulating the administration of these nutrients even more interesting.    

Source 

1. Zaalberg A, Nijman H, Bulten E, Stroosma L, van der Staak C, “Effects of nutritional supplements on aggression, rule-breaking, and psychopathology among young adult prisoners”, Aggress Behav. 2010 Mar-Apr;36(2):117-26 

2. Gesch CB, Hammond SM, Hampson SE, Eves A, Crowder MJ, “Influence of supplementary vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids on the antisocial behaviour of young adult prisoners. Randomised, placebo-controlled trial”, Br J Psychiatry. 2002 Jul;181:22-8