Linking Foods and Nutrients to Hearing Losses

The majority of us have been advised to eat our carrots for excellent eye sight. Chances are that you didn’t hear any similar tips about what foods were good for your ears and hearing. Now we can tell our little ones what to eat for healthy ears and hearing, and also sensible for us to follow our own advice!

Several things may cause hearing impairment, including infections, age and noise. Nutrients that may help prevent certain of hearing loss are contained in the food described below.

Surprisingly, fish like trout or salmon which contains vitamin D and omega 3 fats, has been demonstrated in studies to reduce age-related hearing loss. Other good vitamin D and omega 3 sources are the anchovies on your pizza and the tuna fish probably sitting in your cupboard. For a hearing boost in old age, eat any one of these at least two times per week.

Workers subjected to loud noise at work, for example music artists or heavy equipment operators, are at a elevated risk for ear damage. People with a job or pastime exposing them to intense noise, can help protect their hearing with bananas, potatoes, artichokes, or any other foods abundant in magnesium. Scientific studies have found that foods rich in magnesium help defend against noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). The mechanism for how the magnesium does this is not known, but the end result has been seen in animals and humans.

Noise exposure can provoke the generation of destructive free radicals which are linked to the demise of delicate inner ear hair cells. Reduce free radical damage with folic acid and antioxidants. Common foods that are rich in both folic acid and antioxidants include spinach, eggs, asparagus and nuts.

You’ll be pleased to learn that dark chocolate is beneficial to your hearing health! The zinc contained in dark chocolate aids in preventing zinc deficiencies which are connected to age-related hearing loss. If you don’t enjoy dark chocolate, eat some oysters on the half shell; any foods that contain zinc will work!

Along with encouraging our children to consume carrots for good eye sight, now we can teach them to protect their hearing and minimize possible hearing problems with specific food suggestions.