A Healthy Diet Can Support Your Hearing Health
Hearing loss affects around one-third of adults between the ages of 65 and 75. There are many factors that contribute to hearing loss over time. Aging isn’t the only cause of hearing loss, but it often combines with other aspects of the person’s lifestyle and diet. The net effect is that hearing sensitivity can decrease with exposure to loud noises over many years in combination with a poor diet that is low in essential vitamins and minerals.
It is possible to adjust your diet to avoid the worst effects of hearing loss as you grow older. Clinical studies conducted on people within the target age range demonstrated that changes in the diet have a noticeable effect on hearing health.
Nutrition and Hearing Loss
Nutrition plays a key role in maintaining the function of various tissues in the body, and this includes the nerve tissue responsible for conducting sound within the ear. Essential minerals are ingested primarily through plants. They can also be introduced into the human body by eating the meat of animals that consume mineral-rich plants. These nutrients support the ability of the person to hear sounds within three distinctive ranges.
Magnesium, potassium and zinc are three top minerals that are linked to hearing health. Magnesium is interesting because it has the capacity to neutralize the effects of free radicals, which are emitted through loud noises. People who work in industrial or urban environments often feel the effects of what is called sound pollution over time. Adjusting the diet to take in foods rich in magnesium can help to support the body in these environments. Failing to absorb adequate levels of magnesium can also cause the blood vessels of the inner ear to shrink, which reduces the supply of oxygen.
Substances like potassium have a direct effect on the ability of the inner ear organs to interpret sounds. The foods that are rich in potassium can help to support hearing. These include dairy products, bananas, spinach, tomatoes, raisins, melons apricots and other citrus fruits. Zinc is linked to the functioning of the immune system, and it also plays a role in the growth of new cells after an injury. This has implications for the hearing system as well because it prevents ear infections, colds and even tinnitus. To get enough zinc in the diet, increase the foods that are rich in this substance. This includes foods like almonds, cashews, lentils, beans, split peas, dark chocolate and dark meats.
Reducing Processed Foods
It’s just as important to remove the harmful substances from your diet as it is to increase the amount of beneficial foods. Reducing the amount of processed foods that you consume is critical for supporting your hearing health, nerve tissues and organs of the inner ear. The fact that healthy changes to your diet can prevent hearing loss from happening is good news. This is a major shift from the idea that hearing loss is just a normal part of aging that has to be accepted without question. In reality, adding healthy foods to the diet and removing any foods that are unhealthy can make a dramatic difference in the overall health of the body. It can also improve the ability of the body to recover from the daily stresses that would otherwise end up contributing to hearing loss.
Taking Vitamin Supplements
Dietary changes are critical for supporting the tissues of the ear, which regulate hearing. Hearing loss often occurs when these tissues become damaged due to noise pollution, inadequate nutrition and even stress. Sometimes, people have difficulty getting access to the foods necessary for supporting hearing health. In these cases, vitamin supplements can help to provide essential vitamins and minerals.
Make Regular Changes Consistently
It’s possible to reduce the effects of hearing loss simply by providing the body what it needs to maintain the function of the organs and tissues within the ear. Vitamins, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids are critical for the body to deal with the free radicals produced from loud sounds, for example. These substances also contribute to overall health, immune system functioning and the ability of the body to repair from wounds. Introduce all of these dietary changes gradually and regularly for the best results.