Fish good for 15-yr-old boys

Fish may indeed be brain food for teenage boys if they eat it more than once per week, according to a new study.

The study in which nearly 5,000 15-year-old boys were surveyed, Swedish researchers found that those who ate fish more than once per week tended to score higher on intelligence tests three years later.

Researchers believe that the omega-3 fats found in fish -- particularly oily fish like salmon, mackerel and, to a lesser extent, albacore tuna -- are important to early brain development and to maintaining healthy brain function throughout life.

The new study appears to be the first large-scale one to look at the effects of fish on teenagers' intelligence, said lead researcher Dr. Maria Aberg, of Goteborg University.

This is important, she explained, because the late-teens are a critical period for the brain "plasticity" that underlies intelligence and emotional and social behavior. Plasticity refers to the brain's ability to reorganize the connections among cells in response to normal experience, like learning a new skill, or to injury.

The findings are based on data from 4,792 male adolescents who completed detailed questionnaires on diet and lifestyle when they were 15 years old, then underwent standard intelligence tests when they were 18.

On average, Aberg's team found, those who ate fish more than once per week scored higher than those who ate fish less than weekly.