A Study Found That Kids Who Eat Seafood Are Kinder & Friendlier
Get those fish sticks ready!
It might be time to start stuffing your picky eaters with fish sticks and shrimp. A new study has found that kids who don’t have seafood in their diets can be less kind, friendly, and social.
The research, which was conducted at the University of Bristol and published in the European Journal of Nutrition in March, focused on the differences between kids ages 7 to 9 who ate a significant amount of seafood and those who did not.
The study was based on a questionnaire taken by over 5,000 parents in the United Kingdom about many of the aspects of their children’s lives. The study spanned two years and was corrected for social and demographic differences.
The results found that the kids who consumed the least amount of seafood between 7 and 9 displayed the least amount of prosocial behavior — things like friendly interactions, altruism, and sharing.
On the other hand, kids who consumed more fish were kinder and more social.
While a number of studies have been conducted on the positive effects of pregnant women eating certain types of seafood, this is one of the first studies that has focused on kids.
"When there's conflicting advice, it can be difficult to know what the best course of action is,” Dr. Caroline Taylor, Associate Professor in Nutrition at the University of Bristol told Science Daily. “Our previous studies have shown that eating fish during pregnancy in the UK can have a positive effect on child development. This has also been found in countries where fish intakes are higher than they are here, so encouraging fish consumption is likely to have a positive effect on child development.”
Why might seafood make kids more social and friendlier? Seafood is a great source of a number of nutrients and vitamins, including omega-3 fatty acids, protein, vitamin D, vitamin B, and selenium. These nutrients can aid in brain health, which could affect children’s attitudes and social development. Further research will be needed to draw a connection between these two things.
It’s also interesting to note that most of the kids in the study did not eat as much seafood as recommended by the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) — two servings of fish or seafood per week. That means that, generally, most kids could probably stand to eat more servings of fish and seafood.
