Eating oily fish

People who eat fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids are less hostile than people who avoid it.

Dr Carlos Ibarren, a researcher with Kaiser Permanente, California says that people who eat fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon and tuna are less hostile than people who avoid the healthy food, according to a report in 'The Age'.

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Ibarren along with his colleagues at several medical centres, analysed the eating habits and conducted psychological tests of 3581 urban adults, aged 18 to 30, who participated in a federal heart study.

After the researchers adjusted for factors such as age, sex, race, education, employment, smoking, drinking and weight, they found that people eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids scored lower on measurements of hostility, including cynicism, mistrust of others, anger and aggression.

The findings, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, follow Japanese research from 2000 which found that fish oil supplements lowered tension and aggression in students dealing with the stress of exams.