RESEARCH

Improving Academic Performance and Behavior through Improved Nutrition - What Does the Scientific Literature Say?

Diet and Behavior

There are still those who insist that there is no connection between the chemicals in foods and the behavior of children. However, there is a tremendous body of research, much of it performed overseas, that documents the effect.

Food and Behavior

Barbara Reed Stitt is the author of a book called Food and Behavior. In 1963, Barbara went to work as a probation officer in Akron and very quickly discovered that most of the youthful offenders she dealt with were suffering from the ramifications of eating a junk food diet, and that it was one of the causes of their criminal behavior. She began prescribing a diet much like The Wellness Forum's diet, with a total ban on sugar, white flour, chemical additives, caffeine and alcohol. Many of the probationers were discovered to have heavy metals in their bloodstreams, and were referred for chelation therapy.

Food and Learning

Information has been available for a considerable period of time indicating that a child's ability to learn is determined, in part, by nutritional status.

One study published in the Journal Nutritional Health in 1984 (Colgan et al, "Do nutrient supplements and dietary changes affect learning and emotional reactions of children with learning difficulties?" 1984; 3(1/2) : 69-77) showed significant improvements in learning and IQ with dietary intervention.