Page 90 - Delicious - UK (February 2020)

THE HEALTH DEBRIEF

& FAD-FREE insight & DEBUNKED food & health news & HEALTHFUL ways to eat better &
COMPILED BY SUE QUINN

S HOPP I NG
TR O L LEY

Dried red lentils are easy to cook
and packed with protein, iron, fibre
THE EXPERT’S VIEW and B vitamins. Use them to add

substance to stews and curries,
B Y K IM B E R LEY W I L S O N and as a base for delicious spiced

dhals and thick, comforting soups.

The brain needs

good nutrition to DIETRIBES

function properly The cider vinegar diet

Wellness websites claim a
spoonful or two of cider
n article published in The British Journal of Psychiatry in 2002 vinegar can cause fat to melt
should have shaken the UK criminal justice system. A randomised away. The truth? Animal
A trial found that providing prisoners with nutritional supplements
(omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals) resulted in them committing studies have found acetic acid
37 per cent fewer violent offences, and 26 per cent fewer offences overall. – the active compound in
Those remarkable results have since been replicated. Twice. vinegar – might promote fat
This research is important. According to a Ministry of Justice report, loss, but research in humans
assaults on prison staff rose to an all-time high in 2018, increasing by is lacking. “In all, the scientific
29 per cent; self-harm went up by 23 per cent and there were 10 per cent evidence isn’t compelling,”
more deaths in custody, compared to the previous 12 months. according to Harvard Medical
Why should nutrition have such an effect? Because the brain requires School. If you must, limit
optimal nutrition for proper function. For example, omega-3 fats (found in
intake and drink vinegar
oily fish) make up the outer wall of brain cells and help them communicate
with each other. If this is impaired, memory may be affected, and it diluted or in salad dressings,
becomes difficult to control impulsivity or make good decisions. In 2017, as it can erode tooth enamel
the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA found
the carb-to-protein ratio of a meal directly affected brain chemistry and
influenced social decision-making.
Prisoner violence, self-harm and suicide are of major concern, as are
the general safety and security of prisons. We have good-quality scientific
evidence that a readily available, cheap and low-risk food supplement
could help. Perhaps it’s time to turn those results into action.

KIMBERLEY WILSON IS A CHARTERED PSYCHOLOGIST AND LECTURER WITH AN INTEREST IN THE
ROLE THAT FOOD AND LIFESTYLE PLAY IN MENTAL HEALTH. HER BOOK, HOW TO BUILD A HEALTHY
BRAIN (YELLOW KITE £16.99), IS OUT IN MARCH