By Barry Keate
Barry Keate, has lived with tinnitus over 40 years and has published 150+ research articles on numerous aspects of tinnitus. He is an expert on the condition and a well-known advocate for those with tinnitus.
(freepik/Freepik)
Sometimes, it’s hard to remember that what we eat today directly impacts our bodies for weeks, months, or even years in the future. We’re focused on what we see, feel, and experience now.
The food you eat provides your body with many of the building blocks it needs to create new cells and repair old ones. Many of the vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, and nutrients in your food are essential for your body function properly, making neurons fire correctly and transmit information to the brain so pain receptors can alert us to injury, eyes can show us color and light, and ears can hear familiar voices, alert us to danger, and help us enjoy music.
Providing your body with the proper nutrition helps your body systems function better for longer. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your favorite foods. There are days when pizza and ice cream really hit the spot. The trick is to include more healthy foods in your regular diet, so your body has what it needs.
Here are some key nutrients that contribute to better hearing that you can include in your diet.
7 Foods For Better Hearing
1. Beta-carotene: which our bodies convert into Vitamin A, is a powerful antioxidant that helps prevent cell damage in the inner ear. Taken with other vital ingredients, it can help prevent hearing loss and tinnitus. Beta-carotene is a plant pigment that gives carrots their color. It is also found in a few vegetables without orange coloring and is fat soluble, so eat it with a quality fat source like olive oil or nuts to help your body absorb it.
Sources: Try carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, cantaloupe, apricots, red bell peppers, dark leafy greens, lettuce, broccoli, and peas.
2. Folate: A great source of folate is citrus fruit. It helps create red blood cells and is an antioxidant that helps prevent oxidative damage to the cochlea (inner ear.) It also helps circulation, which means the tiny nerves that deliver sound signals to the brain receive the nutrients and oxygen they need to function correctly.
Sources: Try asparagus, eggs, beets, brussel sprouts, citrus, broccoli, legumes, beef liver, dark leafy greens, bananas, wheat germ, papaya, whole grains, and seeds.
3. Magnesium: Although the exact mechanism isn’t understood, magnesium has proven especially effective in preventing and treating inner ear nerve damage from loud noises. It helps nerve function, improves blood flow, and increases nutrient and oxygen delivery to nerves.
Sources: Try Brazil nuts, almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, dark chocolate, avocados, bananas, legumes, kale, spinach, salmon, and whole grains.
4. Omega-3s: Omega-3 is an essential nutrient, meaning we do not produce it in our bodies. It lowers inflammation throughout the body, Inflammation can cause hearing loss as it damages the tiny nerves in the ear. So, anti-inflammatory ingredients protect the nerves and preserve your hearing. It’s an antioxidant that reduces oxidative stress on auditory nerves. And it is a significant source of nutrition for the brain, which benefits the entire body. There are three fatty acids (Omega 3), including:
• DHA- Food for the brain and benefits the eyes and the heart. It lowers the risk of age-related hearing loss as well as cognitive dysfunction.
• EPA- Good for the eyes and heart and reduces inflammation
• ALA- Good for the brain and heart and lowers inflammation
Sources: Use walnuts, flax seeds, and chia seeds as the primary source for ALA, though they spoil quickly, so it is best to grind them yourself or buy them in a dark bottle so light doesn’t degrade the fats. Eggs, tuna, mackerel, salmon, sardines, herring, oysters, algae, hemp, and grass-fed beef can supply the DHA and EPA.
5. Potassium: Potassium regulates the fluid in your inner ear, maintaining the optimal environment for the inner ear’s nerves to thrive. Without potassium, the fluid levels drop, damaging the nerves.
Sources: Have sweet potatoes, potatoes, cantaloupe, ranges, apricots, bananas, mushrooms, cucumbers, eggs, peas, spinach, coconut, avocados, watermelon, and edamame.
6. Zinc: Zinc encourages cell growth and regeneration and boosts the immune system to fight off ear and other infections. Zinc deficiencies cause hearing damage, while many use zinc for tinnitus relief.
Sources: Dark chocolate, yogurt, lentils, beans, peanuts, cashews, oysters, lobster, crab, mushrooms, spinach, garlic, kale, pumpkin seeds, oatmeal, pork, beef, and dark meat chicken.
7. Ginkgo Biloba Extract (GBE): Pharmaceutical-grade GBE calms over-excited nerves before damage can occur, is a powerful anti-inflammatory, and increases circulation.
Source: As GBE is an expensive ingredient, it is sold as natural supplements for tinnitus, but not all supplements are equal. Look for high-grade GBE for maximum benefits.
The Bottom Line
With such a variety of sources, it should be easy to incorporate them into your daily diet and still enjoy a wide range of delicious recipes. If you supplement your diet, choose only high-grade herbal supplements for tinnitus for the best results.