Recent advances in the field of nutrition have direct application to the field of learning disabilities. The nutritional sciences have been neglected by both social scientists and medical professionals because such study requires knowledge of tremendously complex biochemical interactions and effects. Our understanding of neurochemistry has increased exponentially in the past several years, and the significant relationship between diet and brain function has become widely recognized. Pertinent findings in nutrition that are of interest to scientists and practitioners dealing with human behavior include information relating dietary constituents to brain function. Excesses and/or deficiencies in certain dietary components contribute to the functioning of the central nervous system and therefore have direct effects on behavior. This paper discusses these mechanisms as they pertain to learning disabilities and antisocial behaviors, as well as nutritional modes of managing and treating such behaviors.
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