New Study: Omega-3s Can Help Keep Kids Out of TroubleRESEARCH BY UMASS LOWELL PROF SHOWS HOW DIET CAN PREVENT BAD, EVEN CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR07/24/2018
Contacts for media: Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu and Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944 or Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu
Jill Portnoy of UMass Lowell's School of Criminology and Justice Studies is leading research that links diet and biology to anti-social behavior.
Photo by K. WebsterLOWELL, Mass. – Something as simple as a dietary supplement could reduce disruptive, even abusive behavior, according to newly released research by a team led by a UMass Lowell criminal justice professor.
Giving children omega-3 fatty acid supplements reduces disruptive behavior, which in turn had a positive effect on their parents, making them less likely to argue with each other and engage in other verbal abuse, according to Jill Portnoy, an assistant professor in UMass Lowell’s School of Criminology and Justice Studies.
“This is a promising line of research because omega-3 fatty acids are thought to improve brain health in children and adults. There is more to be learned about the benefits, but if we can improve people’s brain health and behavior in the process, that’s a really big plus,†said Portnoy, noting that a recent research review found that omega-3 supplements do not affect cardiovascular health.
The new research, published in the scholarly journal
Aggressive Behavior, is just one example of how Portnoy is studying biological and social factors that can help explain and predict impulsive and risky behavior. The goal is to help determine effective ways to intervene before anti-social behavior escalates into crime.
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https://www.uml.edu/News/press-releases/2018/Omega-3sresearchrelease.aspx
