Crime and Nourishment: A Narrative Review Examining Ultra-Processed Foods, Brain, and Behavior

Recently, there has been increased scientific and clinical interest in the potential harms associated with ultra-processed foods, including poor mental health, aggression, and antisocial behavior. Research spanning epidemiology, mechanistic pre-clinical work, addiction science, microbiome and exposo...

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Main Authors: Susan L. Prescott, Alan C. Logan, Erica M. LaFata, Ashka Naik, David H. Nelson, Matthew B. Robinson, Leslie Soble
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-08-01
Series:Dietetics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2674-0311/3/3/25
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author Susan L. Prescott
Alan C. Logan
Erica M. LaFata
Ashka Naik
David H. Nelson
Matthew B. Robinson
Leslie Soble
author_facet Susan L. Prescott
Alan C. Logan
Erica M. LaFata
Ashka Naik
David H. Nelson
Matthew B. Robinson
Leslie Soble
author_sort Susan L. Prescott
collection DOAJ
description Recently, there has been increased scientific and clinical interest in the potential harms associated with ultra-processed foods, including poor mental health, aggression, and antisocial behavior. Research spanning epidemiology, mechanistic pre-clinical work, addiction science, microbiome and exposome science, and human intervention trials has underscored that nutrition is of relevance along the criminal justice continuum. As such, the emerging dietetics research is salient to the thousands of international psychologists and allied mental health professionals that are engaged in justice work, including forensics, prevention, and intervention. In addition, relationships between nutrition and behavior relate to “food crime”, an emergent area unifying criminal justice researchers with psychology, public health, and other interdisciplinary sectors. Food crime scrutinizes the vast harms, including non-communicable diseases and adverse behavioral outcomes, as influenced by the distribution of addictive ultra-processed food products. Here, we examine the emergent research, including biophysiological mechanisms, and evidence indicating that dietary patterns/components intersect with psychosocial vulnerabilities linked with risks of antisocial behavior and justice involvement. Viewed through a prevention lens, the study of nutrition and aggressive behavior should be prioritized, especially if the outcomes emerge as externalities of the global consumption of ultra-processed food. In the context of criminal justice and behavior, there is a need for forensic examination of how industry influence and power structures can undermine matters of food justice.
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spelling doaj-art-de77118d8b084211b79a2a8f9c42ece42025-08-20T01:55:22ZengMDPI AGDietetics2674-03112024-08-013331834510.3390/dietetics3030025Crime and Nourishment: A Narrative Review Examining Ultra-Processed Foods, Brain, and BehaviorSusan L. Prescott0Alan C. Logan1Erica M. LaFata2Ashka Naik3David H. Nelson4Matthew B. Robinson5Leslie Soble6School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, AustraliaNova Institute for Health, 1407 Fleet St., Baltimore, MD 21231, USACenter for Weight, Eating and Lifestyle Science, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USACorporate Accountability, 10 Milk St STE 610, Boston, MA 02108, USANova Institute for Health, 1407 Fleet St., Baltimore, MD 21231, USADepartment of Government and Justice Studies, Appalachian State University, 287 Rivers St., Boone, NC 28608, USAImpact Justice, 2930 Lakeshore Ave #300, Oakland, CA 94610, USARecently, there has been increased scientific and clinical interest in the potential harms associated with ultra-processed foods, including poor mental health, aggression, and antisocial behavior. Research spanning epidemiology, mechanistic pre-clinical work, addiction science, microbiome and exposome science, and human intervention trials has underscored that nutrition is of relevance along the criminal justice continuum. As such, the emerging dietetics research is salient to the thousands of international psychologists and allied mental health professionals that are engaged in justice work, including forensics, prevention, and intervention. In addition, relationships between nutrition and behavior relate to “food crime”, an emergent area unifying criminal justice researchers with psychology, public health, and other interdisciplinary sectors. Food crime scrutinizes the vast harms, including non-communicable diseases and adverse behavioral outcomes, as influenced by the distribution of addictive ultra-processed food products. Here, we examine the emergent research, including biophysiological mechanisms, and evidence indicating that dietary patterns/components intersect with psychosocial vulnerabilities linked with risks of antisocial behavior and justice involvement. Viewed through a prevention lens, the study of nutrition and aggressive behavior should be prioritized, especially if the outcomes emerge as externalities of the global consumption of ultra-processed food. In the context of criminal justice and behavior, there is a need for forensic examination of how industry influence and power structures can undermine matters of food justice.https://www.mdpi.com/2674-0311/3/3/25ultra-processed foodforensic psychologymicrobiomeaggressionaddictionbehavior
spellingShingle Susan L. Prescott
Alan C. Logan
Erica M. LaFata
Ashka Naik
David H. Nelson
Matthew B. Robinson
Leslie Soble
Crime and Nourishment: A Narrative Review Examining Ultra-Processed Foods, Brain, and Behavior
Dietetics
ultra-processed food
forensic psychology
microbiome
aggression
addiction
behavior
title Crime and Nourishment: A Narrative Review Examining Ultra-Processed Foods, Brain, and Behavior
title_full Crime and Nourishment: A Narrative Review Examining Ultra-Processed Foods, Brain, and Behavior
title_fullStr Crime and Nourishment: A Narrative Review Examining Ultra-Processed Foods, Brain, and Behavior
title_full_unstemmed Crime and Nourishment: A Narrative Review Examining Ultra-Processed Foods, Brain, and Behavior
title_short Crime and Nourishment: A Narrative Review Examining Ultra-Processed Foods, Brain, and Behavior
title_sort crime and nourishment a narrative review examining ultra processed foods brain and behavior
topic ultra-processed food
forensic psychology
microbiome
aggression
addiction
behavior
url https://www.mdpi.com/2674-0311/3/3/25
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