Effect of diet on mood & behaviour There are so many different
reasons why people behave in the way they do that attempts to
investigate any one single aspect of it in isolation is fraught
with difficulty. Genetic factors are obviously important.
Parents cannot help but notice the way in which genetic traits
are passed down from one generation to the next – not just the
obvious physical attributes of their child, but aspects of its
personality and behaviour. External factors also play a part.
It’s long been accepted that a stable home environment is
important to every child, though even the best behaved can
become irritable when they become tired or hungry. The role of
food seems self evident – we are what we eat – but the precise
way in which diet affects behaviour is more difficult to
understand. One of the first people to draw attention to a
possible link between diet and behaviour was Dr Ben Feingold, an
American allergist. He claimed that the behaviour of hyperactive
children could be improved by removin