Highlights
- A lot has been said about consuming fish
- Many health experts have pronounced it as brain food
- Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish may be the reason
A lot has been said about consuming fish and many health experts have pronounced it as brain food and turns it is may be more than just that. According to a study published in the journal Scientific Reports, kids who eat fish at least once a week may score higher on IQ tests and also experience a sound sleep. The researchers at the University of Pennsylvania claim that omega-3 fatty acids found in fish may be the reason behind the same. Omega-3 fatty acids have previously been linked to intelligence and improved sleep.
Although the study was done on Chinese kids, as per the researchers, American kids are just as likely to benefit from eating fish, but only if they are ready to modify their diet. The study cannot prove that eating fish accounted to higher IQ and better sleep, but they seem to be associated, as per the researchers.
For the research, the team of researchers studied the eating habits of more than 500 boys and girls in China aged 9 to 11 years old. The children were asked to complete a questionnaire about how often they ate fish in the past month, with option ranging from never to at least once a week. The kids also took a Chinese version of an IQ test that rates verbal and non-verbal skills called the Wechsler Intelligence scale for Children -Revised. In addition, children's parents had to answer questions about their child's sleep quality. The information included how long did kids sleep, how often they woke up in the middle of night, and whether they slept during the day.
The results suggested that children who ate fish at least once a week scored 4.8 points higher on the IQ tests than those who seldom or never ate fish. Kids whose meals sometimes had fish included scored slightly more than three points. Moreover, eating more fish was linked with better sleep.
As per the researchers, apart from this, a healthy balanced diet, plenty of exercise and limited computer and screen time can all help kids sleep better and do a lot better in school.