A new research by University of Pennsylvania’s Adria Raine has proved that fatty acids that are commonly found in fish oil can reduce the antisocial and aggressive behaviour problems in children.

Usually cold water oily fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel and sardines are rich in omega 3 fatty acids. They are a group of polyunsaturated fatty acids that holds many health benefits. They may help in lowering the risk of heart disease, depression, dementia and arthritis. Also the recent survey proved that these fatty acids help in controlling the anti-social behaviour of kids.

"As a protective factor for reducing behaviour problems in children, nutrition is a promising option; it is relatively inexpensive and can be easy to manage," said Jianghong Liu, associate professor at University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing in the US.

During the study, 100 children aged eight to 16 received a drink containing a gram of omega-3 once a day for six months. The control group also consisted of 100 children who received the same drink without the supplement. The researchers had parents assess their children behaviour such as depression, anxiety and withdrawal.

"Both groups showed improvement in both the externalising and internalising behaviour problems after six months," said Adrian Raine from University of Pennsylvania. But what was particularly interesting was what was happening at 12 months. The control group returned to the baseline while the omega-3 group continued to go down. In the end, we saw a 42 percent reduction in scores on externalising behaviour and 62 percent reduction in internalizing behaviour," he added.

The study was published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.

By Lizitha