479 Biochemistry of Behavior [9 July 2018]

In his book Nutrient Power – Heal Your Biochemistry and Heal Your Brain, William J. Walsh devotes Chapter 8 to behavior disorders and ADHD.

Walsh believes that progress in criminal rehabilitation has been hampered by the belief that violent criminals are the result of poverty, child abuse, bad parenting and broken homes. He writes “most children with terrible behavior were born with chemical imbalances that predispose them to this conduct. Flawed life circumstances can aggravate this condition, but the underlying cause is usually bad brain chemistry.”

Walsh’s introduction to the biochemistry of behaviors began in the 1970s while studying ex-convicts with a history of violence. He and his colleagues discovered a high incidence of trace mineral abnormalities in the violent group, especially the copper/zinc ratio. Carl Pfeiffer learned of this research and tested 500 people with behavioral disorders at his Princeton, NJ center. Pfeiffer found a high incidence of high blood histamine, high urine pyrroles, and zinc deficiency. Pfeiffer developed a nutrient protocol to normalize the chemistry but found that adult criminals were, as Walsh put it, “prone to noncompliance”. He had much better success in treating children with behavioral problems.

Walsh furthered this research over the next three decades, testing 10,000 patients with behavioral disorders and 5,600 with ADHD. He found chemical abnormalities in 94% of the behavior disorder group and 86% of the ADHD group. There was a strong correlation between certain biochemical imbalances and specific behavioral disorders. For example 90% of “Intermittent explosive disorder” children had a very high Cu/Zn ratio along with high urine pyrroles.

Walsh found that the three major subtypes of ADHD also have a specific chemical signature. For example most “Predominantly impulsive and hyperactive” children have a copper overload and zinc deficiency with low dopamine and high norepinephrine and adrenalin activity. Drugs like Ritalin effectively increase dopamine, but nutrient therapy to correct the copper/zinc imbalance may be as effective with fewer side effects.

Walsh sums it up: “The best way to reduce crime and violence is to identify children with antisocial tendencies and to provide effective treatment before their lives are ruined.”

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.