Diet and Aggression

This 2018 study investigated whether omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in children could reduce intimate partner violence or child maltreatment by their adult caregivers. While supplementation with these fatty acids has shown its ability to reduce problems with emotional and behavior control (externalizing behavior), the researchers wondered if these improvements in child behaviors induced by omega-3 could lead to enhanced behavior in the parents. As part of this randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 100 children received a fruit drink containing 1gram of omega-3 fats while the other 100 child participants were given the same fruit drink without omega-3s (referred to as the placebo group). Moreover, the caregivers of children in the omega-3 treatment group reported long-term reductions in the kids’ psychological aggression. Also, this study identified a correlation between improvements in adult psychological aggression with fewer externalizing behaviors in the children. However, incidences of child maltreatment were not affected. This is the first study to indicate that omega-3 supplementation in children can reduce inter-partner psychological aggression among adult caregivers. These results suggest that these omega-3 supplements could have long-term benefits on the family.