What foods we choose to put in our body can make a huge impact on our mind and our body. This is because many foods are rich in important minerals that nourish our total health. Minerals are found in the earth, in rocks and soil. They are absorbed by plants and animals, which ingest the plants to provide our meals with essential nutrients for our health.
For instance, minerals found in oily fish, dark chocolate, and nuts boost the health of the brain while foods rich in calcium like dairy and leafy greens are good for supporting healthy bones. Your hearing health is no different.
Now nutritionists are finding that there are certain foods you can consume, which can protect and prevent damage to your fragile and irreplaceable hearing ability. Let’s explore which foods hold the important nutrients needed for hearing health.
Magnesium
Foods such as spinach, nuts, and seeds are rich in magnesium, which have been touted for reducing inflammation, reducing depression, and helping to prevent hypertension and diabetes. Now researchers at the University of Michigan Kresge Hearing Research Institute have found that people who ingest a high take of magnesium in conjunction with vitamins A, C, and E can be protected from noise-induced hearing loss.
Magnesium is believed to fight the effects of free radicals, which are emitted during loud noise, creating a protective barrier around the fragile cells of the inner ear, responsible for transmitting sound to the brain. When these cells are damaged or destroyed the effects are permanent. Lack of magnesium can shrink blood vessels, depriving them of essential oxygen to protect hearing and vascular health.
Potassium
Potassium is a very important mineral for regulating the ratio of fluid in your blood and body tissue. This affects hearing health greatly as the inner ear relies on a healthy supply of blood to ensure optimal hearing health. Foods rich in potassium include fruits such as bananas, citrus, and raisins, and vegetables like spinach, broccoli, and potatoes. Potassium regulates the amount of fluid in the inner ear, which transmits electrical audio signals to the brain.
As people, age potassium levels have been found to drop significantly. The hormone, aldosterone is partially responsible for regulating potassium and researchers have found a drop in aldosterone is very common with aging. This may be one reason why the natural breakdown of hearing due to advanced age is the leading cause of hearing loss, affecting half of all seniors over 75. To avoid hearing damage make sure you load up on potassium-rich fruits and vegetables!
Folic Acid
Dark leafy greens prove themselves an important source of health for our ears and total health over and over again. Spinach, broccoli, asparagus, and fennel are sources rich in folic acid as well as proteins like nuts, liver, and eggs. Folic acid helps your body produce and maintain new cells, and also helps prevent changes to DNA that may possibly lead to cancer. Scientists find that there is a strong correlation between hearing loss and a low amount of folic acid in our diets. Folic acid helps to maintain healthy circulation and reduces inflammation of blood cells essential to hearing health.
Omega-3 Fatty Acid
Aside from joint health and brain health, this powerhouse nutrient found in fish, nuts, and seeds can help us prevent hearing loss by keeping our blood cells healthy, keeping brain connections strong and lubricated.
Zinc
Zinc has been found to boost the body’s immune system by increasing its ability to fight viruses and diseases. It is also a mineral, which stimulates cell growth and the healing of wounds. Zinc has been found by audiologists to help avoid ear infections, which can create temporary or permanent damage to hearing, depending on the severity. Zinc can be found in animal protein such as beef, pork, and dark-meat chicken as well as in nuts and legumes.
Eat Healthy to Hear Healthy
A well-balanced diet can keep us hearing and feeling healthy for years to come. When our body is nourished properly the entire system works to support total health. If you do have hearing loss, don’t let that stop you from living a healthy life. Set up an appointment for a hearing test. We can help you find the best solution for your hearing needs so you can stay healthy for years to come.