The Role Of Diet And Nutrition In Maintaining Healthy Hearing

Are you interested in ensuring that your hearing doesn’t change or that you don’t experience hearing loss as you age? There are lots of factors that can impact your hearing. For instance, you might find that you have issues because of exposure to loud noises. Or you could be experiencing a symptom of an underlying condition such as tinnitus. However, one of the factors that impacts your hearing which is often overlooked is your diet.

Certain diet choices can have a positive or negative impact on your hearing. With that in mind, let’s explore the role that diet, and nutrition plays in maintaining a healthy level of hearing.

How Food Impacts Your Hearing

Certain foods can cause negative impacts on your hearing. For instance, research has linked diet to issues with tinnitus. Tinnitus causes you to hear sounds that aren’t actually there. This could be anything from a whistling to a buzzing sound. It always differs from person to person. While your diet may not cause tinnitus, it can cause it to become more significant. As such, you may notice that the sounds are quieter or louder depending on the foods that you consume on a daily basis. Foods have also been linked to hearing loss caused by long term conditions such as diabetes.

Foods You Should Consume

There are a variety of foods that you can consume if you are interested in improving your hearing. For instance, you might want to consider consuming foods that contain vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is available in a wide range of products including meat, egg, dairy and various other foods from animals. It’s worth noting that vegans are at risk of experiencing a B12 deficiency. If you do follow this diet, then you may need to consume supplements. Here are a few other foods that you should consider.

Omega-3

Omega-3 is present in various fish that you can purchase including flax and walnuts. One study in 2014 found that consuming plenty of fish on a regular basis resulted in a significantly lower risk of hearing loss overall. Ideally, you should aim for at least two servings each week if you want to make sure that your hearing remains healthy.

Magnesium

You could also consider adding more magnesium to your diet. This is found in foods including bananas, tomatoes, spinach, potatoes and broccoli to name just a few possibilities. Magnesium has been found to provide a protective barrier against the free radicals that can impact your health. Research has also shown that magnesium is effective at reducing issues that people experience with noise-induced hearing loss.

Zinc

Zinc can be sourced from foods that are rich in proteins such as oysters, pumpkin seeds and even dark chocolate for those with a sweet tooth. Zinc has also been shown in studies to provide benefits for individuals who are experiencing sudden levels of unexplained hearing loss.

Foods to Avoid

As well as there being foods that you should consume to improve your hearing, there are also certain foods that you may want to avoid. An audiologist may recommend that you avoid food including:

• Cream cheese
• Vegetable oils
• High fats
• Sodium

Foods like this can be beneficial in small quantities. However, if you consume too much of them or they are a regular part of your diet, then they can start to have a negative impact on your overall health and wellbeing. This includes your hearing.

This is not an exhaustive list of foods that you should consume as part of your diet or avoid. However, it is a smart starting point if you are looking to improve your diet and protect your hearing. One extra tip would be to make sure that you are eating food that is not processed or overdeveloped. In other words, make sure that you eat natural products instead of meals that can be purchased in a box.

We hope this helps you understand the key role of diet and nutrition in determining whether or not your hearing remains healthy. Remember, it’s always in your best interest to ensure that you are eating a wholesome diet filled with the right minerals and vitamins.

If you are interested in speaking to an audiologist about your hearing or you think that you might be experiencing a form of hearing loss, please do not hesitate to reach out to our team today. You can get in touch with the Audiology and Hearing Aid Center at (920) 486-6922 to learn more about the services that we provide.

This article is for informational purposes only. Refer to your physician when discussing supplements and your overall health