Intelligent children are more likely to become vegetarians later in life, a study says.
一項研究說，聰明的孩子長大後比較可能變成素食主義者。
A Southampton University team found those who were vegetarian by 30 had recorded five IQ points more on average at the age of 10. The study of 8,179 was reported in the British Medical Journal.
南安普頓大學一支研究團隊發現，那些30歲之前開始吃素的人中，10歲時IQ平均高了五分。這項針對8,179人所作的研究發表於「英國醫學期刊」。
Researchers said it could explain why people with higher IQ were healthier as a vegetarian diet was linked to lower heart disease and obesity rates.
研究人員說，這也可以說明，為什麼IQ高的人比較健康，因為吃素引起心臟病和肥胖的機率較低。
Twenty years after the IQ tests were carried out in 1970, 366 of the participants said they were vegetarian - although more than 100 reported eating either fish or chicken.
在1970年接受IQ測試之後20年，受測者中有366人說，他們是素食主義者，但其中有一百多人說，他們兼吃魚肉或雞肉。
Men who were vegetarian had an IQ score of 106, compared with 101 for non-vegetarians; while female vegetarians averaged 104, compared with 99 for non-vegetarians. There was no difference in IQ score between strict vegetarians and those who said they were vegetarian but who reported eating fish or chicken.
吃素的男人IQ是106分，不吃素的男人則是101分；吃素的女人平均是104分，不吃素的女人則為99分。 吃全素的人和那些兼吃魚肉、雞肉的人，IQ分數不相上下。
Researchers said the findings were partly related to better education and higher occupational social class, but it remained statistically significant after adjusting for these factors.
研究人員說，這有一部分和更好的教育及更高的職場社會階級有關，但在經過這些因素調整後，這些統計數字仍是有意義的。
Vegetarians were more likely to be female, to be of higher occupational social class and to have higher academic or vocational qualifications than non-vegetarians.
吃素的多半是女性，職業社會階層較高，學經歷都比非素食者高。
However, these differences were not reflected in their annual income, which was similar to that of non-vegetarians.
但這些差異並未反映在年薪上，不管是否吃素，年薪都相去不遠。
Lead researcher Catharine Gale said: "The finding that children with greater intelligence are more likely to report being vegetarian as adults, together with the evidence on the potential benefits of a vegetarian diet on heart health, may help to explain why higher IQ in childhood or adolescence is linked with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease in adult life."
研究負責人凱瑟琳．蓋爾說：「IQ較高的兒童，長大後比較可能吃素，這項發現加上素食對心臟健康的好處，足以說明為什麼童年或青少年時IQ較高的人，成年後得冠狀心臟病的風險較低。」
Liz O'Neill, of the Vegetarian Society, said: "We've always known that vegetarianism is an intelligent, compassionate choice benefiting animals, people and the environment. Now we've got the scientific evidence to prove it. "
素食學會的麗茲．歐尼爾說：「我們一直以來都知道，素食主義是一種智慧、悲憫的選擇，人畜和環境同蒙其利。如今我們總算有科學證據證明。」
《詞解》
vegetarian 素食主義者
obesity 肥胖
adolescence 青少年
compassionate 悲憫