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More Fish, Better Sleep, Higher IQ
Children who eat fish at least once a week have an average IQ that is almost 5 points higher than children who eat less or no fish. This is revealed by research from the University of Pennsylvania published this month in Scientific Reports.
Previous studies have already shown a link between omega-3 fatty acids, the fats in many types of fish, and improved intelligence. A connection has also been demonstrated between omega-3 fatty acids and improved sleep. The University of Pennsylvania’s research now connects all three [1]. Sleep could be the possible missing link between eating fish and the positive effect on intelligence.
For the study, questionnaires were completed by 541 Chinese children aged 9 to 11 years old (54% boys, 46% girls). The questionnaires indicated how often fish had been consumed in the past month, with options ranging from “never” to “at least once a week”.
In addition to the IQ test, a Chinese version of it was performed, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised, which looks at verbal and non-verbal skills. Parents then answered questions about sleep quality using the standardized Children Sleep Habits Questionnaire. This included questions about the duration of sleep and how often the child wakes up at night or is sleepy during the day. They also asked for demographic information such as parents’ education level, occupation, marital status, and the number of children in the household. All factors for which the outcomes regarding fish and sleep need to be adjusted.
The team observed that children who said they ate fish weekly scored on average 4.8 points higher on the IQ test than those who said they never or almost never ate fish. The children who ate fish occasionally scored on average 3.3 points higher than the children who (almost) never ate fish. Additionally, it was found that eating fish was associated with fewer sleep disturbances, which could be an indication of better sleep quality. Better sleep quality could in turn have a positive influence on cognitive abilities and thus intelligence.
Lack of sleep is associated with antisocial behavior; poor cognition is associated with antisocial behavior. We have found that omega-3 supplements reduce antisocial behavior, so it’s not too surprising that fish is behind this.
Adrian Raine, School of Arts and Sciences & Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine
One of the researchers, Jennifer Pinto-Martin, therefore suggests that children should be taught to eat fish as early as possible. This can start as early as 10 months if completely boneless and mashed, but should at least be done from 2 years old. Introducing the taste and smell early is much easier when children are young. Especially in countries or places where children do not come into contact with the taste and smell of fish quickly, parents should make an effort for this. In that respect, you can imagine that it takes less effort in Volendam than in Maastricht.
Given the young age of the group, the researchers decided not to ask more detailed questions about the type of fish eaten. They plan to do this with a test group of older participants.
From Special Education to Einstein?
It would also be nice if future research includes higher fish intakes. Now, the group of people with a high intake of fish is combined from people who eat fish at least once a week. By classifying separately on people who, for example, also eat fish twice, or even three times or more per week, you can see if the effect on sleep and intelligence can be increased.
Almost 5 IQ points will probably not be enough to significantly change that school advice, but possibly a reason to add to your list of New Year’s resolutions.
References
- Jianghong Liu, Ying Cui, Linda Li, Lezhou Wu, Alexandra Hanlon, Jennifer Pinto-Martin, Adrian Raine, Joseph R. Hibbeln. The mediating role of sleep in the fish consumption – cognitive functioning relationship: a cohort study. Scientific Reports, 2017; 7 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17520-w
