What nutrition suggestions would you have for a child who has a mild to moderate nervous disorder? Her psychologist said to start researching alternatives to drug therapy for anger management. We are currently using a product, cal Calmplex by Rexall. It is a homeopathic medicine. I'd rather avoid all meds and control with diet if possible. She is 11 years old.

Dear L.,

Deficiencies in brain levels of serotonin have been associated with aggressive/angry behavior. Serotonin is a brain chemical that acts as a neurotransmitter. It helps regulate many chemical processes in the brain as well as regulating bodily rhythms, food and water intake, and response to pain. It induces calm, relaxes you and makes you sleepy.

Serotonin is made from tryptophan, and amino acid found in food. The more tryptophan that reaches your brain, the more serotonin you'll have. However, if other amino acids are present in larger amounts than tryptophan, which is true in all high protein foods, those other amino acids will saturate the pathways to the brain such that tryptophan can't get in. However, carbohydrates cause the release of insulin into the bloodstream, which decreases blood levels of all other amino acids except tryptophan and allows more tryptophan to pass into the brain. Vitamin B6 is needed for the brain to make serotonin out of tryptophan. Low levels of B6 have been linked to depression and obsessive compulsive behavior.

To help treat your daughter from a dietary standpoint you will want to be sure her diet consists of good to excellent sources of tryptophan, complex carbohydrates to induce its uptake into the brain and excellent sources of B6 so that the brain can make serotonin.

Several small meals throughout the day are better than a few large meals as this will help to keep serotonin levels steady. Foods high in tryptophan include: milk, turkey, bananas, and pineapple. Foods high in B6 include: bananas, chicken (especially light meat), eggs, brown rice, dried beans, tuna, tomatoes, oatmeal, peanut butter, and sunflower seeds.

Luckily all these suggestions are part of a healthy diet no matter what! I wish you luck in your quest to find a successful way to treat your daughter. Perhaps this information may help.