Supplements, vitamins, and minerals for hearing loss

Hearing loss is a serious problem faced by millions of Americans. There are various reasons for its development. These are age-related changes, prolonged noise exposure, damage to the ears and head, as well as various complications. But they all lead to the same result – a significant decrease in the quality of life.

Fortunately, today there are effective methods and means to restore the ability to hear. The most popular is the daily use of hearing aids. In addition, audiologists often prescribe management techniques to relieve symptoms such as tinnitus. Today, more and more Americans are hearing about the benefits of vitamins and other supplements for hearing to help with hearing loss. Do they really work?

Does Healthy Eating Help Save Hearing Health?

 

Every American needs to take care of their health, and it’s not just hearing health! The modern way of life interferes with this. Moreover, the modern urban rhythm of life greatly affects well-being, including hearing. Therefore, it is important to always keep yourself in shape, eat right and conduct an annual examination to detect the onset of problems in time.

If your activity is related to long-term exposure to noise (occupation, use of noisy public transport, etc.), then use custom hearing protection. These are protective earplugs or headphones, which protect our hearing from the negative effects of the external environment.

All of these are modern devices designed specifically for hearing protection. But what about proper nutrition? Does it help save your hearing?

On the one hand, the right diet, especially the Mediterranean diet or DASH, is a great way to support your body with all the necessary nutrients. In fact, proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle keep our body in good shape, helping to cope with various diseases and difficulties, including hearing problems.

On the other hand, one of the main causes of hearing loss is age-related changes. Whether we like it or not but over the years our body ages and loses its ability to recover. Hair cells gradually wear out. They are responsible for the perception of external sounds for further transmission of information to the brain. This is how Americans develop age-related hearing loss. Careful selection of products will help slow down the natural aging process and prevent age-related changes. And, therefore, an adequate nutrient prevents hearing loss too!

What do scientists say about it? A study confirms the information that proper nutrition reduces the risk of hearing loss!

Having good health, a person minimizes the likelihood of any problems, including hearing loss. In addition, a healthy diet plays a very important role in the formation and maintenance of healthy body functioning. Thus, diet and hearing loss are closely related.

What vitamins are good for hearing loss?

We have already found that nutrient intake helps prevent hearing problems, including hearing loss and tinnitus. Therefore, many ENTs prescribe vitamins and minerals for hearing loss along with medications and other remedies. Supplements for hearing are only an additional help to the main treatment and not a replacement for it! Scientific studies have shown that only some vitamins really help with hearing problems. Dr. Stella Fulman recommends paying special attention to the most effective ones.

B vitamins

B vitamins are characterized by directed action. They improve nerve conduction and are indispensable for normalizing the functions of the auditory nerve.

First of all, we are talking about folic acid (Vitamin B9). The substance takes part in the regulation of the process of cell division and is also responsible for maintaining the integrity of DNA chains. Studies show that the risk of hearing loss is reduced with active folic acid intake. This is especially true for those Americans who are deficient in B vitamins.

In addition, vitamins B1, B6, and B12 are useful. They have a positive effect on hearing acuity and inhibit natural aging.

Carotenoids

Carotenoids not only give the orange color to many fruits and vegetables but also perform several important functions in the human body. How do carotenoids work?

• Provide interaction between cells
• Take part in the regulation of the immune system
• Inactivate free radicals

A study with a large number of participants showed that consuming a large number of carotenoids helped maintain a healthier hearing relative to other participants in the study.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a very controversial vitamin. Therefore, ascorbic acid should be taken with caution! On the one hand, vitamin C has been shown to reduce the development of tinnitus. But on the other hand, an excess of ascorbic acid increases the risk of hearing loss! Different studies show conflicting results. Therefore, the effectiveness of vitamin C against hearing problems still requires new research and findings!

Omega 3

Omega-3 is a semi-saturated fatty acid, not a vitamin. However, it can be added to our list. After all, the consumption of Omega-3 has a positive effect on hearing, reducing the risk of hearing loss. Moreover, Omega-3 is involved in many metabolic processes in the body. Eat fish more often to get the valuable nutrient!

What about minerals?

 

We have listed valuable vitamins for hearing loss, they should be taken as an additional remedy. Not everything is so simple with minerals. First, there is a lack of research in this direction. Second, some studies provide conflicting results. However, experts agree that some minerals have a positive effect on hearing if they are deficient in the body. Here are some of them:

• Zinc. The substance will be useful for Americans suffering from tinnitus. This is only relevant for people with zinc deficiency. In addition, adding zinc to your diet may help reduce oxidative stress in the inner ear and speed up hearing recovery.
• Magnesium. The mineral also helps reduce tinnitus symptoms.
• Potassium. The substance helps to slow down the development of age-related hearing loss

Oriental medicine offers other, quite popular herbal supplements. Here are the most common plants:

• Ginseng
• Ginkgo biloba
• Coenzyme Q10

Herbal supplements promote health, reduce stress levels, and improve physical performance and hearing threshold. Traditional Chinese medicine has used them for centuries to treat health problems, including hearing problems.  Despite this, keep in mind, your primary health care professional should be asked about the type of vitamins/minerals that are best for you.

We looked at the various supplements for hearing that Americans can take. What is worth highlighting? They are not a substitute for a full-fledged treatment! But at the same time, adequate nutrients, when used correctly, can relieve the symptoms of tinnitus and reduce the chance of hearing loss!

If you have hearing problems, you must first complete a diagnostic hearing evaluation. A medical examination will identify the cause of the problem and allow you to prescribe the right treatment. Vitamins and minerals for hearing loss can be taken as an adjunct to the main treatment.

Of course, before using such products, it is necessary to consult a doctor to get the desired result.