Old age must be poor hearing? What Foods Can You Eat to Improve Your Hearing? (Shutterstock)
Does Hearing Decline As You Get Older? Studies have shown that there are many reasons for hearing loss, and it is not exclusive to the elderly. In addition to changing our lifestyle, the foods we eat may prevent or slow down hearing loss, but which foods can protect our hearing?
What causes hearing loss
Hearing impairment, an aging-related condition, is the third most common chronic health condition in the United States, affecting nearly twice as many people as diabetes or cancer.
According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders), it is estimated that one-third of the American population aged 65 to 74 has hearing loss, and about one-third of those over the age of 75 Half have hearing problems.
A 2016 study in Brazil showed that hearing loss can also be caused by other causes, such as noise, exposure to drugs that are toxic to the ear, ear diseases and genetics.
Hearing loss is also “a growing problem among young people,” Barbara Kelley, executive director of the Hearing Loss Association of America, said in an email to The Epoch Times, with some studies finding As many as 18% of adolescents have detectable hearing loss. Kelly said teens’ hearing loss is likely to be noise-induced, “in part due to loud music, earplugs and headphones.”
People of all ages can protect themselves from hearing loss by avoiding listening to loud and long-lasting sounds. Loud music, concerts, leaf blowers and lawn mowers, and other similar loud noises can cause permanent hearing loss. Reducing your exposure to loud noises and using ear protection such as earplugs or earmuffs can help protect your hearing and reduce hearing loss that may occur as you age.
In addition to reducing your exposure to noise, research shows that certain foods and supplements can also help protect your hearing and delay hearing loss.
Nutrients That Help Protect Your Hearing
Although age-related hearing loss is generally considered inevitable, there are a variety of factors that contribute to hearing loss, and adjustments to these factors can help reduce the risk.
Dr. Sharon Curhan, a physician and epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and director of hearing conservation research, told The Epoch Times, “There is multiple evidence that the intake of some nutrients is associated with the risk of hearing loss. Related.”
Cohan and her colleagues found that higher intakes of specific nutrients and certain foods, such as the carotenoids beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin, folic acid, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, and fish, were associated with a greater risk of hearing loss less relevant.
Cohan said her team also found that vitamin C may also help improve blood flow in the ear.
However, sometimes too much of the nutrient can be a bad thing, she said, “In our study, we were surprised to find that excess vitamin C intake (the amount achieved with supplements) was associated with a higher risk of hearing loss. “
Exposure to loud noises can cause cells in the inner ear to produce free radicals, which can lead to damage in the ear and impaired hearing. Researchers at the University of Michigan hypothesize that vitamins A, C, and E, as well as magnesium, may prevent hearing loss by reducing the number of free radicals and noise-induced restriction of blood flow to the inner ear.
Researchers conducted a study to see if pretreatment of guinea pigs with vitamins A, C and E, and magnesium before exposure to loud noises helped reduce noise-induced hearing loss. The results showed that a combination of vitamins A, C and E plus magnesium prevented nearly 80 percent of noise-induced hearing loss in guinea pigs.
The same combination of antioxidants and magnesium was tested in a study of Swedish military personnel who had been exposed to service-related noise. The results were encouraging, but no conclusions were drawn about the potential protection of the ear. A subsequent human study in which participants took the same four micronutrients before they were exposed to noise showed that the supplement had no effect on noise-induced hearing changes.
Folic acid may also have a role in preventing hearing loss. Studies have shown that hearing loss is associated with folate deficiency and high levels of homocysteine, an amino acid. Folic acid works with vitamins B12 and B6 to break down homocysteine to form other chemicals your body needs. High levels of homocysteine in your body can also mean you’re deficient in the vitamin and increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, and dementia.
Studies have shown that folic acid supplements may reduce the risk of developing age-related hearing loss by reducing homocysteine levels.
Omega-3 fatty acids are another tool in the fight against hearing loss. A 2014 study by Cohan and her colleagues showed that regular fish consumption and higher intakes of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were associated with a lower risk of hearing loss. This protective property of omega-3 fatty acids has been demonstrated in other studies, such as the aforementioned Brazilian study, suggesting that omega-3s may play an important role in preventing hearing loss.
6 types of food for ear protection
While supplements are available at pharmacies, Cohan said there was “not enough evidence” to recommend specific supplements to prevent hearing loss. Eating foods that support hearing health is the best way to prevent hearing loss, she said, because these foods have other health benefits in addition to preventing hearing loss.
“We found that an overall healthy diet, such as a Mediterranean diet or a DAZEL diet, was associated with a lower risk of developing hearing loss,” she said.
So, what foods can you eat to help keep your ears and hearing in tip-top shape? Here are six food groups to consider:
1. Foods rich in vitamin A, including:
- ・Green leafy vegetables
- ・Orange and yellow vegetables
- ・Red bell pepper
- ·milk
- ・Beef liver
- ·fish oil
2. Vitamin C can be obtained in the following foods:
- ·chili
- ・Citrus fruits
- ・Kiwi fruit
- ·strawberry
- ·broccoli
- ・Cantaloupe
3. Foods rich in vitamin E, such as:
- ·Wheat germ oil
- ·almond
- ・Sunflower seeds
- ・Pine nuts
- ·avocado
- ·peanut butter
- ·fish
4. These foods contain magnesium:
- ·pumpkin seeds
- ·almond
- ·spinach
- ·cashew
- ·peanut
- ・Black beans
5. Get folic acid from these items:
- ・Dark green, leafy vegetables
- ·beans
- ·peanut
- ・Sunflower seeds
- ・Fresh fruit, juice
- ・Whole grains
- ·liver
- ·seafood
- ·Egg
6. Foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids:
- ·fish
- ・Whole grains
- ·nut
- ・Green, leafy vegetables
- ・Oils (such as rapeseed oil, flaxseed, cod liver)
Some sources of information for this article:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081110112103.htm、
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4314232/
original:Eat These Foods to Help Fight Hearing LossPublished in English “The Epoch Times”. ◇
Editor in charge: Li Fan
