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cific effects on the brain. 84 Edwine Bierman, and Ancel Keys to its payroll,
When serotonin, the brain’s “orchestra mae- Big Sugar succeeded in convincing the public
stro,” is low, aggression, impulsivity and violence that sugar was not to blame for the obesity epi-
increase, while cognitive function declines. 85 demic or heart disease. By the 1990s the public
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Alcohol consumption is much more likely to was largely convinced that sugar had no role
lead to violent behavior in individuals with low to play in hyperactivity, juvenile delinquency
cholesterol. 86 or hypoglycemia. Yet these connections were
Substantial research has implicated de- conclusively demonstrated by British researcher
creased serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmission in John Yudkin. He noted that hypoglycemia, a
human aggressive behavior. This can be directly consequence of sugar binging, occurs in 30-70
related to diet. Alcohol, in combination with L- percent of psychiatric patients, and in 90 percent
tryptophan depletion, has an additive effect on of alcoholics. The orthomolecular psychiatrists
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aggression, leading to violence. Male subjects and researchers of the twentieth century, Hoffer,
with high trait hostility are particularly prone to Osmond, Philpot, Pauling, Rimland, Webach and
increased aggression following plasma trypto- others, all recognized hypoglycemia as a major
phan depletion. 87 factor in aberrant behavior. 93

SUGAR STUDIES ON NUTRITION,
Sugars, in the forms of cane sugar, beet VIOLENCE AND CRIME
sugar, high fructose corn syrup and other forms As early as 1971 the U.S. population was
of these refined sweeteners, are all fairly new to already consuming more that 50 percent of its
the human genome. Hunter-gatherers ate very diet in the form of junk foods. More than four
small amounts of sugars in the form of fruits, thousand additives were readily available in the
honey and tree and grass syrups. In 1800 the food system. In the 1970s several researchers
sugar intake was less than ten pounds per per- tried to reduce crime through changing diet.
son per capita, whereas today the average sugar They identified several areas where intervention
intake is estimated at around one hundred fifty could be made: brain allergies, hypoglycemia,
pounds per person per year. 88 nutrient deficiencies, brain dysfunction, envi-
Much of the sugar ingested today comes in ronmental contaminants and neurotransmitter
the form of fast food. Sodas are the most con- imbalance. 94
venient and accessible way to down “elephant Research by Hippchen, Schoenthaler,
doses” of sugars. The average soda in the 1950s Schauss and others concluded that hypoglyce-
was eight ounces. Today’s Big Gulp is twenty mia, caused by a diet high in sugar and refined
ounces. carbohydrates, could account for most of anti-
Early infant feeding practices advocated social behavior. They found that hypoglycemia As early
the use of apple juice but studies show that chil- causes the brain to secrete glutamate, a neuro- as 1971
dren who are fed high amounts of apple juice toxin, which leads to agitation, depression, anger,
are at risk for failure to thrive. And how many anxiety, panic attacks and violent behavior. 95-97 the U.S.
generations of infants were raised on the advice Stephen J. Schoenthaler, PhD, a professor of population
of Dr. Benjamin Spock, considered the ultimate criminal justice at California State University,
authority, who advised the use of orange juice has focused his research efforts on the effect of was already

and sugar water in baby’s bottle? nutrition on cognition and behavior in school consuming
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Sugar consumption puts the body on a children, prisoners and institutionalized juve-
roller coaster of high and then low blood sugar. niles. He reported a significantly lower level of more that
Recent findings show blood glucose levels at the antisocial behavior after dietary modifications 50 percent
high end of normal resulted in significant brain which involved decreasing sugar consumption
shrinkage, particularly in the regions of the hip- during a three-month and nine-month period of its diet in
pocampus and amygdala involved in memory and respectively. In fact, as of 1983, at least nine the form of
other critical functions. 90 separate institutions in three states had found
By enlisting academics like Fred Stare, that the behavior of their juveniles improved junk foods.
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