Hearing Loss: Listen Up
Hearing loss: It’s a condition usually associated with aging. It is the third most common chronic health issue in the United States—nearly twice the number of people who report diabetes or cancer suffer from it.
People of all ages can help protect their ears from hearing loss by avoiding sounds that are loud and long-lasting. Loud music, concerts, leaf blowers and mowers, and other similar loud noises can cause permanent hearing loss. Reducing the amount of time you’re exposed to loud noise, and using ear protection like ear plugs or muffs, can help protect your hearing and decrease the amount of hearing you might lose as you age.
In addition to limiting noise exposure, research suggests that the consumption of certain foods and supplements may also help protect hearing and delay hearing loss.
Nutrients May Help Reduce Hearing Loss, Either Aging- or Noise-Induced
Although age-related hearing loss is often considered inevitable, there is a complex variety of factors that contributes to hearing loss which may be modified to help reduce the risk.
“There are several lines of evidence that suggest that dietary intake of certain nutrients is related to the risk of hearing loss,” said Dr. Sharon Curhan in an email to The Epoch Times. Curhan is a physician and epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and director of the Conservation of Hearing Study (CHEARS).
However, sometimes too much of a good thing can be bad. “In our studies, we were surprised to find that very high vitamin C intake (so high that this is primarily achieved by taking supplements) was associated with a higher risk of hearing loss.”
Research shows that folate supplementation can potentially lower the risk of developing age-related hearing loss by lowering levels of homocysteine.
Eating for Your Ears
Although supplements are available over-the-counter, Curhan says there is currently “insufficient evidence” to recommend specific supplements to prevent hearing loss. She says the best way to meet dietary requirements to help prevent hearing loss is through foods rich in nutrients, since these foods may also have health benefits beyond just hearing loss prevention.
“We found that eating an overall healthy diet, such as a diet that resembles the Mediterranean diet or the DASH diet, is associated with a lower risk of hearing loss,” she said.
Vitamin A-rich foods, including:
- Green, leafy green vegetables
- Orange and yellow vegetables
- Red bell pepper
- Milk
- Beef liver
- Fish oil
You can find vitamin C in the following foods:
- Red pepper
- Citrus fruit
- Kiwi fruit
- Strawberries
- Broccoli
- Cantaloupe
Vitamin E-rich foods, such as:
- Wheat germ oil
- Almonds
- Sunflower Seeds
- Pine nuts
- Avocado
- Peanut butter
- Fish
Magnesium can be found in these foods:
- Pumpkin seeds
- Almonds
- Spinach
- Cashews
- Peanuts
- Black beans
Get your folate from these items:
- Dark green, leafy vegetables
- Beans
- Peanuts
- Sunflower seeds
- Fresh fruits, fruit juices
- Whole grains
- Liver
- Seafood
- Eggs
Omega-3 fatty acids:
- Fish
- Whole grains
- Nuts
- Green, leafy vegetables
- Oils (e.g. canola, flaxseed, cod liver)