Consuming omega-3s lowers aggression

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Consuming omega-3s lowers aggression

 

There’s a saying we used in the past when someone was

becoming agitated in a particular situation. We’d tell

them, “Don’t get your blood pressure up!” Well, it

appears there is a connection between hostility and

eventual coronary heart disease, and the consumption

of omega-3 fatty acids may help.

 

A team of researchers from across the country has

found that young adults with a high intake of omega-3

fatty acids may be less prone to hostility, which

could in turn reduce their risk of heart attacks.

 

“Hostility has been shown to predict both the

development and manifestation of coronary disease,”

researchers said at the initiation of the study.

“Examining the inter-relation of dietary intake of

fish and of polyunsaturated (omega-3 and omega-6)

essential fatty acids with hostility may provide

additional insights into the cardio protective effect

of dietary fish and polyunsaturated fatty acids.”

 

The scientists set out to examine the association of

dietary omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and fish with

the level of hostility in a sample of 3,581 young

adults living in California. They found that intake of

fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids and intake of DHA

(docosahexaenoic acid) were independently associated

with lower odds of high hostility.

 

Researchers said, “These results suggest that high

dietary intake of DHA and consumption of fish rich in

omega-3 fatty acids may be related to lower likelihood

of high hostility in young adulthood. The association

between dietary omega-3 fatty acids and hostile

personality merits further research.”

 

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 58(1):24-31, 2004