The Role of Diet and Nutrition in Hearing Health

Diet and nutrition are often only talked about when it comes to exercise and weight management strategies, but did you know that the food you consume can have a huge impact on the health of your hearing? Another misconception is that hearing only changes as you get older or if you are exposed to loud noises. However, many other lifestyle factors can impact your hearing health, one of them being food and diet.

The food you choose to consume daily can impact all areas of your life. It plays a crucial role in how healthy your hearing is, how well it is protected and how you can maintain a good level of hearing. Diet and nutrition can have both a positive and negative impact on the health of your hearing.

Negative Impacts of Food on Hearing

Unfortunately, many items of food can negatively impact your hearing, which is a part of the standard diet. If the wrong foods are consumed regularly, you put yourself at risk of developing health conditions that can impact your hearing, both directly and indirectly. For example, poor dietary consumption has been linked to the development of tinnitus. Other conditions can impact your hearing, such as diabetes, which is a long-term condition controlled by diet. You should avoid certain foods, such as high fats, vegetable oils, cream cheese and sodium for better hearing health.

Positive Impacts of Food on Hearing

You should look at the food that you eat and make sure they will benefit your health and any conditions you may have. There are many dietary choices that you can make that can positively impact your hearing health. A healthy diet, filled with whole food, nutrients and vitamins is always recommended, for full body health. But some in particular are linked to better hearing health. For example, magnesium has been shown to help create a protective barrier in your body against free radicals, as well as reduce issues for those with hearing loss. Magnesium can be found in broccoli, spinach and potatoes.

Vitamin B12, zinc and omega-3 deficiencies have been linked to hearing loss and tinnitus, which makes them important vitamins and minerals to consume for hearing health. B12 can be found in eggs, dairy products and meat. Zinc can be found in dark chocolate and pumpkin seeds and omega-3 can be found in flax and walnuts, as well as fish.

Your hearing health is an extremely important lifestyle factor to consider. Many things can impact your hearing that may not be in your control, like being exposed to a sudden loud noise. However, there are many things that you can control, such as the food that you consume.

Now you are more aware of the role that diet, and nutrition have on your hearing health, you can ensure you include the important vitamins and minerals that will support and protect your hearing health. For more information about how you can support your hearing, speak to your hearing health professional. They will be able to recommend strategies to protect your hearing health.