(Credit: Tverdokhlib/Shutterstock)

Could introducing seafood to kids early on be the key to having more friends?

BRISTOL, England — When parents deal with picky eaters or work on creating balanced meals for their children, seafood often isn’t top of mind. But recent research suggests those fish sticks or salmon fillets might affect more than just physical health—they could be influencing how children behave toward others.

A study published in the European Journal of Nutrition found that children who eat seafood regularly show better prosocial behavior—meaning they’re more likely to help others, share things, and show consideration. This research gives parents a specific food recommendation that could help their children develop socially.

Researchers at the University of Bristol in England looked at data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), examining nearly 8,300 children at age 7 and more than 6,800 children at age 9. They wanted to see if the amount of fish these children ate affected their thinking skills and behavior.

What they found was eye-opening: Children who ate no seafood at age 7 had a 35% higher risk of poor prosocial behavior at that same age compared to children who ate at least 190 grams of seafood weekly (about two servings). This effect lasted over time—by age 9, children who had eaten no seafood at age 7 were 43% more likely to show poor prosocial behavior compared to those who had eaten the recommended amounts.

Prosocial behavior is what we see when children do things that help others—sharing their toys, helping someone who’s hurt, or comforting a sad friend. These behaviors usually start to appear around a child’s first birthday and grow more complex as they age. They matter for both personal development and for getting along well in groups.

What’s the connection between seafood and child social development?

The findings stand out because seafood consumption in the UK—where the study took place—is much lower than what health officials recommend. The UK’s National Diet and Nutrition Survey shows children aged 4-18 eat less than 20 grams of oily fish weekly, nowhere near the recommended 95 grams. Many Western countries show similar patterns of low seafood consumption.

But why would seafood affect behavior? The answer probably lies in what fish and shellfish contain. They’re rich in nutrients that help brain development, especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosahexaenoic acid (EPA)—omega-3 fatty acids that make up brain cell membranes. These fatty acids concentrate in the brain and affect everything from gene expression to how flexible cell membranes are.

Seafood also delivers other brain nutrients like iodine, which helps make thyroid hormones that affect brain development. Selenium, another mineral in seafood, helps make proteins for DNA production and works as an antioxidant. Choline, also found in seafood, helps produce acetylcholine, a brain chemical involved in pain response and thinking processes.

Curiously, this study found that while seafood intake was linked to better prosocial behavior, it didn’t affect IQ scores. This suggests fish nutrients might influence some parts of brain development but not others, or that timing matters for different aspects of development.

The researchers looked specifically at DHA intake and found a weaker but still present connection with prosocial behavior at age 9. This suggests that while DHA matters, the whole package of nutrients in seafood might do more good than any single nutrient alone.

Aim for 2+ servings of fish per week

For parents, the takeaway is straightforward: trying to include at least two servings of seafood weekly might help children develop better social skills. Health authorities already recommend this amount, but knowing about possible behavior benefits might motivate more families to add fish to meals.

This study builds on research connecting childhood nutrition to brain development and behavior. Previous studies have looked at how a mother’s seafood consumption during pregnancy affects her child’s development, but fewer studies have examined children’s own seafood intake.

The research team was careful to account for other factors that might explain the results, such as sex, mother’s education, smoking during pregnancy, family difficulties, ethnicity, and breastfeeding history. Even after adjusting for these variables, the link between seafood and prosocial behavior held up.

It’s worth noting that this study shows a connection rather than proving cause and effect. However, the design—following the same children over time—and consistent results at two different ages make the findings more convincing. The researchers also considered mercury exposure, often mentioned as a concern with seafood, and concluded that at normal consumption levels, the benefits of fish nutrients likely outweigh any risks from contaminants.

Families wanting to add more seafood to children’s diets might start with mild-tasting fish like cod or tilapia. Kid-friendly preparations such as fish tacos, pasta with salmon sauce, or homemade fish sticks can make seafood more appealing. Canned tuna and salmon are budget-friendly options that still offer nutritional benefits.

It makes sense that omega-3 fatty acids, which concentrate in the brain, would affect behavior. What’s interesting is that they specifically seem to influence being helpful and kind to others—suggesting these nutrients might play a role in our capacity for empathy, cooperation, and altruism.

Perhaps the old saying about fish being “brain food” holds more truth than we realized—not just for test scores, but for developing the social smarts that help children navigate relationships. In today’s world, where social skills matter enormously, a simple fish dinner might be doing far more for child development than we’ve given it credit for.