Sugar & Tinnitus

This is my second question for you on tinnitus and I appreciated your prompt response to my last question. This question is concerning sugar. I have been to several ENT doctors and they all tell me to watch my salt, but none seem to think that sugar will aggravate my tinnitus. Can you tell me what your studies have found out regarding sugar triggering tinnitus?

Thank you!
Joyce R.

Hi Joyce,
Salt seems to be the biggest problem for those with tinnitus but sugar definitely has an effect. Researchers in Brazil found the great majority of people with tinnitus also have hyperinsulinemia. This is a condition where the body becomes less sensitive to insulin and is the first step in the long, slippery slope towards Type II Diabetes. They placed these patients on a diet suitable for diabetics and the great majority improved. You can read an article about sugar metabolism and tinnitus in our Tinnitus Library.

There is a quandary regarding sugar intake for those with tinnitus. They should not consume large amounts of it due to the above mentioned relationship. However, sugar substitutes are, in many ways, worse. Aspartame (e.g. Equal), the sugar substitute used in diet colas, is very harmful and can cause many neurodegenerative conditions, including tinnitus. Xylitol and Stevia are good sugar substitutes. A discussion of this can be viewed in a previous Ask Barry – March of 2005.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate