Everyone knows that the cornerstones of overall health are diet, exercise, and rest. Considering the innumerable consequences of failing to treat hearing loss with the gravity that it deserves, hearing health should be just as commonly known to be one of these cornerstones. When someone downplays the seriousness of their hearing loss, or just plain ignores it, it can unravel into life-changing emotional, psychological, and even cognitive damage.
And obviously, being the foundations of health, each of these things impacts the others. So it should be no surprise that particular vitamins and minerals can benefit your hearing. We hear thanks to the countless minuscule hairs within our ears. When sound waves hit them, they vibrate against our eardrums. The ear drums then send signals to the brain which spatialize and decode the signals. All of this depends on strong blood-flow. And eating these particular nutrient-dense foods can improve your blood flow, making sure that all the delicate components in your ears all operate at their peak potential.
Vitamins and Minerals
Folate
Folate, also known as B-9, is considered the most significant vitamin for hearing health. It triggers the production of DNA and the processes of cell division.
Nuts, beans, spinach, asparagus, broccoli, eggs, and liver all contain folate. Bread and cereal are commonly fortified with folic acid.
Vitamin B-12
Vitamin B-12 is the other most commonly known vitamin to promote hearing health. Inadequate B-12 levels reduce blood flow to the cochlea, which causes hearing loss. And people who suffer from tinnitus and also have B-12 deficiencies can reduce the symptoms of their tinnitus by taking more B-12.
Meat, fish, eggs, milk, and dairy all contain B-12.
Carotenoids
Carotenoids are both antioxidants and provitamins that our bodies convert into vitamins when ingested. They are what makes plants, fruits, grains, and oils yellow, orange and red.
Carrots and sweet potatoes, for example, contain carotenoids.
Omega-3
Though both our immune and cardiovascular systems significantly depend on Omega-3 fatty acids, our bodies do not produce them naturally. They have to be ingested.
Fish, pasteurized eggs, flaxseed, and grass-fed lamb and beef all contain Omega-3s.
Antioxidants
Vitamin A
Vitamin A significantly reduces the likelihood of hearing loss.
Leafy green vegetables, cantaloupes, mangos, red bell peppers, tomatoes, milk, eggs, and grass-fed butter, beef liver, and fish oils all contain Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is significantly less impactful on hearing health than Vitamin A, but it is the second most helpful antioxidant.
Almonds, sunflower seeds, spinach, sweet potatoes, avocados, butternut squash and olive oil all contain Vitamin E.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C scavenges the free radicals in our body that are associated with noise-induced hearing loss. It also protects our auditory brainstems from potential damage that can result from excessive noise.
Citrus fruits, strawberries, papaya, bell peppers, leafy greens and Brussel sprouts all contain Vitamin C.
Supplements? Maybe
It follows reason that if dietary changes can improve hearing health then dietary supplements likely could too. But some research suggests that supplements exceeding recommended daily doses might even cause damage to your hearing.
With that warning in mind, these dietary supplements may potentially reduce the likelihood of hearing loss and tinnitus.
Zinc will reduce the symptoms of tinnitus in people with zinc deficiencies, but not in other people. Magnesium also seems to reduce the severity of tinnitus, as do Ginkgo Biloba and ginseng.
Ginseng also seems to improve the hearing threshold for people who suffer from hearing loss. And vinpocetine also seems to stop hearing loss and may even improve hearing. And coenzyme Q10, also known as CoQ10, may help treat cases of sudden hearing loss.
So next time you go to the grocery store, make a point of trying out some options and see what works best for you and your specific needs. You cannot go wrong optimizing your diet to maximum healthfulness. You will feel the results quickly and undeniably in every dimension of your overall health. And while your hearing is on your mind, make an appointment with one of our specialists today. There is no more accurate way to get an objective assessment of exactly how your hearing measures up, so you can take action today to guarantee your quality of life endures tomorrow.