Last Updated on March 31, 2023
Your hearing will be optimized when your body is adequately nourished with essential minerals and vitamins. Some of the nutrients in healthy foods can stave off hearing loss or damage in some cases.
They are designed to boost your overall health, including ear and eye health. Here, we will go over some foods that improve hearing health.
Essential Vitamins and Minerals for Healthy Hearing
Leafy greens and beans have lots of folates. Folic acid serves as the synthetic variant of folate. Many expecting mothers take folate because it helps benefit the developing fetus. It has also been linked to reducing the risk of age-related hearing loss.
Whole grains, dark chocolate, and avocados are high in magnesium. They have neuroprotective properties. Magnesium can help treat certain forms of hearing loss and prevent hearing loss when taken in sufficient quantities. Magnesium helps promote optimal blood flow and prevents the damage inflicted by carcinogenic free radicals.
Seeds and nuts provide superb levels of zinc. Zinc can help treat or prevent unexplained and sudden forms of hearing loss, such as sensorineural hearing loss. Moreover, it can also prevent ear infections thanks to its excellent immunological benefits.
Potatoes, oranges, and bananas contain impressive amounts of potassium. Potassium is designed to regulate the fluids produced in the human body. By regulating the secretion of inner-ear fluids, potassium helps maintain optimal hearing.
Furthermore, fish, walnuts, and flaxseed are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids that promote optimal hearing health. Omega-3 can help delay or even prevent the onset of age-related hearing loss. Fish oil is a great option if you want a quick and convenient way to up your Omega-3 levels.
Fortified milk, mushrooms, cereals, and eggs provide copious amounts of vitamin D.
The human ear is filled with a myriad of tiny and delicate bones. These bones rely on vitamin D to function as designed. Many animal-based products, such as dairy and meat, contain high vitamin B12.
If you are currently suffering from chronic tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ear), your doctor may suggest eating certain foods or taking a daily B12 supplement.
5 Foods to Improve Your Hearing Health
Fish tends to be high in Omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin D. Vitamin D can help prevent abnormal auditory metastasis known as otosclerosis, which causes hearing loss. Vitamin D is designed to augment the strength of the bones inside your ears.
Peas, beans, and other legumes are rich in zinc. Zinc helps boost hearing and the human immune system and is considered a potent and essential mineral.
Thanks to their high potassium concentration, bananas are another food item that can help maintain high hearing levels as you get older. Broccoli is a superfood that is high in fibre and vitamin C.
It can help reduce the risk of a wide array of hearing-related disorders and can also stop free radicals in their tracks. Free radicals promote and accelerate the degradation of cells, leading to various genetic anomalies and diseases, including cancer.
Whole grains help protect the hair cells inside your inner ear when exposed to very loud sounds. Their high magnesium levels also maintain optimal nerve functionality and facilitate blood circulation to the ears.
Dark chocolate is a tasty treat that is also chock full of vitamins and antioxidants that boost immune function, digestion, and metabolic functionality. It also helps augment magnesium levels to promote better hearing and optimal circulation.
Helpful Tips For Healthy Hearing
Manage your stress levels and exercise regularly. Do not use cotton swabs or q-tips to remove wax from your ears, as you will only be pushing it in deeper, not to mention you may rupture your ear canal in the process.
When you are around loud noises, such as working at a construction site, remember to wear protective earplugs or earmuffs. You also need to give your ears time to recover. Avoid rock concerts, as the decibel levels they generate, may harm your ears.
Do not listen to music via earphones for more than an hour. Use volume control presets not to exceed the recommended decibel level by accident. Regular ear checkups are also crucial.
Hearing screenings can quickly and accurately diagnose various healing problems, conditions, and disorders to provide you with a custom-tailored solution.
Here, Hear!
Natural food sources are preferable to supplements, as the body tends to absorb raw food vitamins and minerals more effectively. Your hearing is fundamentally connected to your quality of life and as you get older it can decline. By incorporating some of the foods we have listed here in your daily meals, you will help keep your ears healthy and functioning properly for years to come.
Sources:
7 Foods for Better Hearing (hoffmannaudiology.com)
Foods That Promote Hearing Health (captel.com)