If you’re loading up on junk food and ditching the fruits and veggies, it may be time to adjust your diet before your ears suffer. A healthy diet has direct and indirect effects on your hearing and may be contributing to your hearing loss.
You Are What You Eat
Let’s say you do all you can to protect your hearing. You avoid excessively noisy situations, don’t smoke or drink alcohol, and turn down the volume on your headphones.But you still find yourself struggling with hearing loss or tinnitus.
What’s the deal? The answer may be your poor diet.
When you deprive your body of the vitamins and nutrients it needs, your bodily functions suffer. There are foods to avoid and foods to stock up on that will keep your ears in tip-top shape.
Fruits and Vegetables
Including fresh produce in your diet reduces your sugar and sodium intake. High sodium diets raise blood pressure, which contributes to tinnitus. Cook meals at home, so you control the ingredients and avoid sugary juices and sodas.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D supports calcium absorption and your immune system, which protects you from infections that could damage your hearing. You can get your daily dose of Vitamin D from the sun, but foods like mushrooms, eggs, and salmon are another great source.
Folate And Antioxidants
Folate helps create red blood cells and boosts the circulation your ears need to support the hair cells that transmit sound signals to your brain. Folate and other antioxidants also protect your immune system and stop free radicals from destabilizing your cells and weakening your tissues. You can find folate in eggs, spinach, and leafy greens. Blueberries, cranberries, and even dark chocolate are also sources of antioxidants.
Omega 3
Omega 3 strengthens the blood vessels and supports the sensory mechanism in your ears. Consuming foods like fish, walnuts, and spinach are great foods packed with Omega 3s. Regularly eating fish has also been linked to reducing the risk of age-related hearing loss.
Zinc
Zinc is a mineral that aids the body’s chemical reactions and signaling pathways. In previous studies, it’s been linked to reducing tinnitus symptoms. Eat beef and poultry, whole grains, and nuts to give yourself a healthy dose of zinc.
A healthy diet protects you from conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes that can directly affect your hearing. Be mindful of the food you put in your body, and you will reap the benefits of healthy hearing.
Learn more about our hearing aids and services and how Audio Help can help you create a lifestyle plan to protect your hearing. Call us at 888-832-9966 or contact us online.
