"violence" news and stories

According to a story in the New York Times magazine, there might be a connection between a healthy diet and a propensity for violence. Studies have been done in countries including Finland and England, and are underway in Holland and Norway, that showed a decrease in the levels of violent behaviors exhibited by convicts who were given omega-3 fatty acids and other nutritional supplements. The decrease was compared to prisoners who received placebo supplements, or none at all. Apparently, in addition to other health benefits, "Omega-3's foster the growth of neurons in the brain's frontal cortex, the bit of gray matter that controls impulsive behavior." In other words, for people who impulsively committed violent acts, having an increased amount of omega-3-generated neurons blocked those impulses and eliminated many violent behaviors.

The article does, of course, remind readers that there is no miraculous way to eliminate violent behavior - no matter how much fresh fish and spinach people are given. Just like diet alone is not a substitute for exercise on the quest to lose weight, diet alone cannot stop all violent behaviors. But it could help.

[Image NYT]

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Let me start by saying that I'm in no way out to create any kind of link between alcohol and violence here. It just so happened that I read three different articles about beer and violence yesterday.

It started with this story from Springfield, Illinois, about a woman who fatally stabbed her boyfriend with a steak knife in a fight over a can of Natural Light. (This ad, from 1979, seemed appropriate.)

Next, a Bakersfield, California, man was recently sentenced to 50 years to life for suffocating his girlfriend after an argument over a bottle of beer "got out of hand."

Finally, an American soldier in South Korea may receive a 30-month sentence for attacking a Korean man with a beer bottle last summer.