A new study has revealed that children who consume omega-3s, the fatty acids in fish get better sleep and possess a higher IQ.
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania revealed that, kids who eat fish at least once a week scored 4.8 points higher on an IQ test than children who said they rarely ate the seafood.
The children also revealed that they had better sleep at night.
The findings they said are the first of its kind that reveals sleep as the link between fish and heightened intelligence, prompting researchers to suggest introducing kids to fish as young as 10 months old, so as to improve their overall cognition all through their lives.
The researchers conducted a study on more than 500 children in China aged nine to eleven, who filled out a questionnaire regarding eating habits and how often they consumed fish ranging from never, seldom to always.
The participants took an IQ test where researchers then matched those results to the questionnaire.
The parents of the children in the study were also asked to submit a questionnaire regarding their child’s sleep quality, length of sleep, frequency of napping and tiredness.
Previous research has shown that the omega-3s found in fish have health benefits that can lower blood pressure, slow the development of plaque in arteries reducing the risk of heart attack and can improve sleep.
Other studies have also linked fish to improved cognitive function.
However, this is the first study that has associated the fatty acids to better quality that can lead to higher intelligence.
The study author Prof Adrian Raine, encouraged parents to expose their children, as young as 10 months old, to fish as long as it does not have bones in order for them to grow a liking to the flavor and texture.
