Children with high IQs are more likely to be vegetarians when they grow up.

It's smart to go veg.

A British study of more than 8000 men and women aged 30 whose IQs had been measured when they were 10 showed that the higher their IQ, the more likely that they were vegetarian.

For each 15-point rise in IQ scores, the likelihood of being a vegetarian rose by 38 per cent. Even after adjusting for factors such as social class and education, the link was consistent.

The findings, published online by the British Medical Journal, were consistent with other studies showing people who are more intelligent eat a healthier diet and exercise more.

For more information, go to www.bmj.com .