Intelligent children are more likely to become vegetarian as adults, according to a recent study published in the British Medical Journal.

According to ScienceDaily…

The study found that higher IQ at the age of 10 years was associated with an increased likelihood of being vegetarian at the age of 30. This relation was partly accounted for by better education and higher occupational social class, but it remained statistically significant after adjusting for these factors.

The study also found that 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.

Vegetarianism is linked to lower cholesterol levels and a reduced risk of obesity and heart disease. Researchers concluded that this connection might help to explain why children who score higher on intelligence tests tend to have a lower risk of coronary heart disease in later life.