Fish Makes Your Kids Smarter and Improves Their Sleep (Study)

You should encourage your children to eat fish, as it has been proven it can make them smarter. A recent research explored the effect of seafood on kids, and discovered that eating it at least once a week can improve their IQs and their sleep.

Encourage your kids to eat fish

It’s no wonder that fish is good for your child, and a new research came here to support this claim. Researchers from the University in Pennsylvania noticed a visible increase in the cognitive skills of those children who ate seafood at least one day out of seven. The IQs of those seafood-loving kids were 4.8 points higher than of those who opted for other types of food.

Also, fish is good not only for intelligence. Researchers discovered that it also improved sleep quality, as kids were less likely to wake up in the middle of the night. Also, this food could help them fall asleep easier, and made them feel less tired throughout the day.

Fish can improve your child’s sleep and cognitive skills

These benefits are given by all the beneficial components of fish. The most nutritious chemical it contains are the omega-3 fatty acids, which can improve one’s cognitive performance. However, these substances have many other effects on the brain, such as stimulating the production of a hormone called melatonin. This hormone controls the cycle of sleep and wakefulness, guaranteeing the kids get proper rest.

For the study, researchers looked at 541 Chinese children aged 12, and at their IQs and sleep cycles. Before starting the observation, they had to answer a questionnaire regarding their seafood consumption. Afterwards, their parents monitored their sleep patterns, and the researchers had them solve arithmetic problems, assessed their vocabulary, and gave them a few other intelligence tests.

As expected, the results were in favor of those who ate more fish. Even consuming seafood once a week was enough to increase their IQ and reduce their sleep disturbances. The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports.
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