Intelligent children 'more likely to become vegetarians'

INTELLIGENT children may be more likely to become vegetarian, according to a study out yesterday.

Those recorded as having a high IQ aged ten were more likely to be vegetarian aged 30, it said.

The research, published online in the British Medical Journal involved a study of 8,179 men and women.

Aged 30, 366 (4.5 per cent) of them said they were vegetarian. Of those, nine (2.5 per cent) were vegan while 123 (33.6 per cent) said they were vegetarian but ate fish or chicken.

On average, vegetarians had a higher childhood IQ score than non-vegetarians. The mean childhood IQ score of vegetarians compared with non-vegetarians was 106.1 and 100.6 for men and 104 and 99 for women.

It is already known that children with a high IQ have lower risk of coronary heart disease in later life - something the researchers said could be down to a vegetarian diet which is also regarded as good for the heart.

They said: "Vegetarians were more likely to be female, to be of higher social class, and to have attained higher academic or vocational qualifications, although these advantages were not reflected in their income.

"Higher IQ at age ten years was associated with an increased likelihood of being vegetarian at age 30.

"IQ remained a statistically significant predictor of being vegetarian as an adult after adjustment for social class, academic or vocational qualifications, and sex."

The authors also noted that vegetarians were less likely to be working in the private sector.