Many of us have been advised to eat our carrots for good eye sight. But, did anyone ever recommend foods beneficial to your ears? Not likely. We can now tell our kids what to eat for good hearing; advice that’s undoubtedly wise for us to follow as well.
Hearing loss can be the result of many things including infections, noise and age.
Vitamins and nutrients in the following foods can aid in the prevention of some commonplace reasons for hearing loss.
Workers exposed to loud noises, such as musicians or heavy equipment operators, are at a very high risk for ear damage. Bananas, potatoes and artichokes are rich in the mineral magnesium and can help safeguard the hearing of those with a pastime or an occupation subjecting them to intense sounds. Although the mechanism is not known, human and animal research studies have shown that magnesium helps defend against noise-induced hearing loss.
The vitamin D and omega 3 fats found in some types of fish, such as trout and salmon, have been demonstrated reduce age-related hearing difficulties in scientific studies.. Other smart vitamin D and omega 3 sources are the anchovies on your pizza and the tuna fish sitting in your pantry. Any one of these, consumed at least twice each week, have a good chance of helping you hear better as you age.
Contact with loud noise can trigger the generation of damaging free radicals bringing about the death of inner ear hair cells. Minimize free radical damage with folic acid and antioxidants. Some foods that are rich in folic acid and antioxidants include asparagus, eggs, nuts and spinach.
Even some foods we think of as treats, such as dark chocolate, are good for hearing health. Age-related hearing loss has been linked to zinc deficiencies, and zinc is an ingredient in dark chocolate. Try some oysters if you don’t like dark chocolate; any foods containing zinc will help assure you are not deficient.
Now we can help our kids lessen future hearing damage with a couple of basic foods we probably have in our home’s kitchen. Simply add some of these to the checklist alongside carrots for good vision.