Nutrition and Behavior New Perspectives Robin B. Kanarek Robin Marks-Kaufman Tufts University Medford, Massachusetts An (\Vi Book Published by Van Nostrand Reinhold New York
An AVI book. (A VI is an imprint of Van Nostrand Reinhold) Copyright 1991 by Van Nostrand Reinhold Softcover :reprint of the ha:rdcover 1 st edition 1991 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 90-13072 ISBN -13: 978-1-4684-6598-3 e-isbn -13: 978-1-4684-6596-9 DOl: 10.1007/978-1-4684-6596-9 All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or used in any form by any means-graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems-without written permission of the publisher. Van Nostrand Reinhold 115 Fifth Avenue New York, New York 10003 Chapman and Hall 2-6 Boundary Row London, SEI 8HN, England Thomas Nelson Australia 102 Dodds Street South Melbourne 3205 Victoria, Australia Nelson Canada 1120 Birchmount Road Scarborough, Ontario MIK 5G4, Canada 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress CataIoging-in-Publication Data Kanarek, Robin B. Nutrition and behavior: new perspectives / Robin B. Kanarek and i,{obin Marks-Kaufman. p. cm. U An A VI book." Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-1-4684-6598-3 1. Nutrition. 2. Nutritionally induced diseases. 3. Dietary supplements-psychological aspects. 4. Food additives Psychological aspects. 5. Neuropsychology. I. Marks-Kaufman, Robin. II. Title. [DNLM: 1. Behavior-drug effects. 2. Behavior-physiology. 3. Diet-adverse effects. 4. Nutrition. 5. Nutrition Disordersetiology. 6. Nutrition Disorders-physiopathology. QU 145 K155nJ QPI41.K285 1991 616.3'9-dc20 DNLMlDLC for Library of Congress 90-13072 CTP
To John, Daniel, and Jacob (RBK) and Richard, Melissa, and Jennifer (RMK)
Contents Preface ix Acknowledgments xi 1. Introduction 1 Historical Perspective Food Faddism 3 Research Strategies 4 2. Protein-Calorie Malnutrition, the Central Nervous System, and Behavior 10 Structure and Development of the Central Nervous System 10 Definition and Prevalence of Protein-Calorie Malnutrition 17 Consequences of Malnutrition on Brain Development 20 Behavioral Consequences of Malnutrition 22 3. Vitamins, the Central Nervous System, and Behavior 35 Thiamin (Vitamin B,) 36 Niacin (Vitamin B 3) 42 Pyridoxine (Vitamin B 6) 47 Cobalamin (Vitamin B n> 50 Folic Acid 52 4. Trace Minerals, the Central Nervous System, and Behavior 57 Iron 59 Zinc 65 Iodine 69 5. Too Much of a Good Thing? Excess Intake of Vitamins and Minerals 79 Megavitamin Therapy 79 Treatment of Schizophrenia 81 Down's Syndrome and Other Forms of Mental Retardation 84 Effects of Vitamin and Mineral Supplements on Intelligence in Normal Children 88 v
vi CONTENTS Treatment of Autism 88 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder 89 Vitamin B6 (pyroxidine) in the Treatment of Premenstrual Syndrome 91 Vitamin and Mineral Toxicity 92 6. Heavy Metals, Nutrition, and Behavior 102 Lead 102 Mercury llo Aluminum 119 Cadmium 123 7. Food Additives: Are There Behavioral Risks? 131 Government Regulations and Food Additives 131 Testing of New Food Additives 134 Classification of Food Additives 135 Food Additives and Behavior 137 Monosodium Glutamate 140 Sulfites 144 8. Caffeine and the Methylxanthines 149 Origins of the Use of Methylxanthines 149 Sources and Levels of Intake 150 Metabolism of the Methylxanthines 152 Physiological Effects 153 Neurophysiological and Behavioral Effects 155 Therapeutic Uses 160 Caffeine and Disease 161 9. Sugar and Behavior 169 Sugar: What is it? 170 Sugar Consumption 170 Sugar and Hyperactivity 173 Sugar, Hypoglycemia, and Behavior 179 Sugar and Antisocial Behavior 181 10. Artificial Sweeteners: Do They Live Up to Expectations? 188 History and Use of Artificial Sweeteners 189 Role in the Control of Food Intake and Body Weight 198 11. Alcohol: Consequences on the Central Nervous System and Behavior 20S Metabolism of Alcohol 205 Interaction of Alcohol and Nutrition 206 Consequences of Alcohol Intake in Adults 207 Fetal Alcohol Syndrome 209
CONTENTS vii 12. Diet, Neurotransmitters, and Behavior 222 Precursor Control of Neurotransmitter Synthesis 223 Acetylcholine 224 Serotonin 227 13. Obesity 241 Definition 241 Prevalence 243 Physiological Aspects 244 Psychological Consequences 247 Etiology 248 Treatment 256 14. Eating Disorders 272 Anorexia Nervosa 272 Bulimia 286 Index 301
Preface Within the past decade there has been a veritable explosion of interest in the relationship between food and human behavior. It seems that there is an insatiable desire to find connections between what we eat and what we do. A clear example of this is the proliferation of books, magazine and newspaper articles, and television and radio programs devoted to the topic. More important, however, is the increased attention the scientific community is giving to the study of nutrition and behavior as evidenced by the growth of research, the development of undergraduate and graduate programs, and the number of scientific conferences addressing the problems in this area. The burgeoning scientific interest in this field makes it a very appropriate time for this book. The principal goal of Nutrition and Behavior: New Perspectives is to provide a comprehensive examination of the scientific evidence dealing with relationships between nutritional variables and behavior. Although findings in research using experimental animals will be introduced, the primary emphasis will be on investigating the nutrition-behavior relationship in our own species. The first chapter provides a historical introduction to the area and examines the techniques used in the scientific assessment of nutrition and behavior. This material gives the reader the necessary background to place recent research on nutrition and behavior within a wider perspective and to evaluate its reliability and validity. Chapters 2-6 focus on the behavioral effects of nutritional deficiencies and excesses. Individual chapters review the consequences of proteincalorie malnutrition, vitamin deficiencies, and mineral deficiencies on brain functioning and behavior, and evaluate the effects of excess intake of vitamins and minerals with particular attention to the use of megadoses of these micronutrients in the treatment of psychological disorders. The last chapter in this group describes the detrimental neurological and behavioral effects of heavy-metal contamination in our food. The third portion of this book examines the significance of commonly consumed food constituents and behavior. The physiological and psychoix
x PREFACE logical consequences of the intake offood additives, caffeine, sugar, and artificial sweeteners are surveyed in chapters 7 through 10. Chapter 11 addresses the problem of excess alcohol intake and its effects on the brain and behavior in adults and on fetal development. The final portion explores research on human feeding behavior. Chapter 12 examines recent scientific findings on the effects of the macronutrient content in the diet on brain chemistry and behavior. The final two chapters survey the physiological and psychological aspects of obesity and eating disorders. Because the nature of research in nutrition and behavior is interdisciplinary, this book will be of interest to individuals from a variety of backgrounds including nutrition, dietetics, food science, biochemistry, psychology, medicine, and anthropology. This book will be of use to students, researchers, and clinicians. For students, it will bring together, in a cohesive manner, the scientific information that is currently available on the relationship between nutrition and behavior. For researchers, it will serve as a valuable source of references for future investigations. For clinicians who must decipher and relay the vast quantities of information to the worried consumer, this book will put into perspective many of the most recent concerns about nutrition and behavior.
Acknowledgments We would like to acknowledge the valuable help we have received in the preparation of this book. In particular, we would like to thank John Tovrov for his careful and thoughtful editing of the original manuscript, Robin Lin for his artistic contribution to the drawings in the text, and Madeline Amico for her assistance with many of the practical aspects of completing this book. Additionally, we would like to express our appreciation to Eleanor Riemer, Vincent Janoski, and the other members of the staff of Van Nostrand Reinhold who have helped in the development and production of Nutrition and Behavior: New Perspectives. xi