Omega-3 fatty acids reduce the frequency of aggressive and antisocial behavior in children, reports the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania (USA) have shown that omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids – nutrients found mainly in fish fat – have a positive effect on children’s behavioral functioning by causing them to decrease the frequency of aggressive and antisocial external behavior (engaging in fights, lying) and internal (depression, anxiety, withdrawal).
200 children aged 8 to 16 participated in the study and drank a portion of fruit juice daily for 6 months. Half of the respondents consumed a juice containing omega-3 acids (in the amount of one gram), and the rest consumed a drink without the supplement. Children and their parents also completed a number of questionnaires on behavior and personality traits, with parents sharing information both about themselves and about their charges.
After six months of swimming, i.e. immediately after the end of supplementation, blood samples were taken from the children (some of them had an increased level of omega-3 acids) and questionnaire tests were performed again. The procedure (already without blood testing) was repeated again after another six months.
It turned out that immediately after the end of the six-month supplementation in both groups (experimental and control) – according to parents’ reports – the frequency of aggressive and antisocial behavior decreased. This was considered a placebo effect. What is more interesting, after 12 months in the control group, the level of aggression and antisocial tendency returned to the baseline (before the study). However, in the experimental group, despite the lack of further supplementation, it maintained a downward trend.
At the end, we found a 42 percent reduction in externalized behavior and a 62 percent reduction in internalized behavior, says study coordinator Adrian Raine.
Surprisingly, a reduction in the frequency of aggressive and antisocial behavior in parents was also observed at various stages of the study. According to researchers, this may be a consequence of the covered drinking of children’s contact lenses or a reaction to improved behavior in charges.
Previous studies show that omega-3 fatty acids stimulate the work of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex – the place responsible for complex cognitive functions. In criminals, this part of the brain is often damaged or weakened, and is therefore associated with a tendency to criminal behavior.
Omega-3 acids regulate neurotransmitters, extend the life of neurons and thicken dendritic branches. Unfortunately, our body does not produce them on its own. We can, however, assimilate them from the outside – sums up Raine.