Fish oil may help temperament in kids, parents
A child’s diet can have a significant impact on their mood, temperament and behaviour. While there are many components that make up a healthy diet for a child, intake of omega-3 fats (primarily from fish) are an essential component of brain development in early life. Omega-3 fats are fundamental for the normal development of the brain, central nervous system and eyes.
Having enough omega-3 fats in the diet has been tied to benefits in ADHD symptoms, emotion processing and reduction of behavioural problems in children. While both adults and children can reap the health benefits of omega-3 fats, new research out of the University of Massachusetts Lowell suggests that children supplemented with omega-3s could improve their entire family dynamics, improving both their own behaviour as well as the temperament of their parents.
This new research, published this July in the journal Aggressive Behavior, examined the tendency toward behavioural issues among 200 children who were either supplemented with omega-3 fats or with a placebo over a sixmonth period. The researchers also examined if a child taking this fish oil supplement was tied to a change in their parents’ temperament.
The study’s results showed that the children who took the fish oil supplement had a significant reduction in “externalizing behaviour,” otherwise known as acting out. Additionally, the parents of the children who took fish oil saw significant improvements in their temperament, including a reduction in partner-partner and partner-child aggression. Incidences of violence between parents were also found to be reduced in the children who took the fish oil supplement.
“Our primary analysis in this sample showed that omega-3 supplementation in children reduced caregiver psychopathic personality and aggression. This analysis built on the prior findings by showing that omega-3 supplementation also reduced caregiver psychological aggression,” concluded Jill Portnoy and her team at University of Massachusetts Lowell. “These findings suggest that improving child behavior through omega-3 supplementation could reduce intimate partner violence,” Portnoy added.
The idea that nutrition can affect a child’s temperament is not a new one, however, there is potentially broad reaching implications from these results. A child who is given optimal nutrition could see improvements in their mood and behaviour, which ripples throughout the family, leading to less stress and aggression among parents.
Do you have questions about the effect of nutrition on your family’s health? Ask your naturopathic doctor.
Dr. Colin Macleod ND is a naturopathic doctor practicing full-time in Upper Tantallon at Macleod Naturopathic. His practice focuses on pain management and maintaining health through physical activity and diet. Visit him online at drcolinmacleod.com.