Fish oil to tame tempers
prone to hostility, say researchers, and this could in turn reduce
their risk of heart attacks.
The study is part of a growing body of evidence to suggest that polyunsaturated essential fatty acids may play a role in mental health.
Hostility has been shown to predict both the development and manifestation of coronary disease, writes a US team in this month's European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (vol 58, no1, pp 24-31).
They examined the association of dietary omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, as well as fish, with the level of hostility in a sample of 3581 urban white and black young adults living in California.
Both intake of fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids and docosahexaenoic acid intake were independently associated with lower odds of high hostility, they report. This relationship could offer further insight into the cardioprotective effect of dietary fish and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
"The association between dietary omega-3 fatty acids and hostile personality merits further research,"write the researchers.
The relationship between behaviour and diet has also been studied by scientists in the UK, particularly in regard to children. An ongoing study is examining whether fatty acid supplements can help improve the behaviour of hyperactive and disruptive children.
University of Surrey researchers have also studied the impact of vitamin supplements on a group of prisoners. The vitamin group was found to commit a quarter fewer offences compared with the placebo group.
