Feel Good Foods for Your Hearing

Forefront in the media is the battle of the bulge, foods that may or may not cause disease, and what’s on the menu at the local fast food joint. We hear about the latest diet fad, the latest YouTube recipes and what the stars are eating. What we don’t often hear about foods that can affect our hearing health.

Sticking to a healthy diet is good for more than just your waistline. By increasing your intake of certain foods, you can increase your chances of healthy hearing well into your golden years. A balanced diet that includes a variety of foods is sure to be better for you all around than sugary junk food. Eating a rainbow variety of foods increases the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that help your body to heal and stay healthy, including your hearing.

We get much needed naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, and nutrients by eating plants that take in these fuel molecules from within the soil as they grow. We either eat the plants directly or eat meat from animals that consumed the plants. This allows us the ability to meet the daily requirements needed for optimal health. The following list is key in maintaining good auditory health.

Folate

Foods such as asparagus, broccoli, chickpeas, lentils, and liver are great sources of folate which provides vitamin B9. Folate, or folic acid, help to minimize the possibility of hearing loss related to the aging process. Other foods such as fortified cereals, baker’s yeast, leafy vegetables, and sunflower seeds are also good sources of folic acid. If those don’t appeal or the food prep is to time consuming, you can take a vitamin supplement such as B9 or B complex.

Magnesium 

For those who live or work in noisy environments, there is help. Magnesium has been proven to protect the sensitive hairs within our inner ears from free radical molecules that are produced by the hazardous effects of long-term loud noise. Without these tiny hairs, our ears are unable to transmit the electrical currents to the brain, which are then identified as sound. This means that we develop hearing loss.

To combat the effects of loud noise, be sure to keep up your magnesium level by eating plenty of artichokes, avocados, beans, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, and even whole grains. These foods are easily added to stir fry dishes or grilled. They’ll have a protective effect on the sensitive hairs within the ear and will help to ensure you can hear for many years to come.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

For those over 50, decreased hearing becomes an increasing possibility, but it doesn’t have to. By consuming omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, you can delay or even prevent hearing loss related to aging.

Fresh fish are among the food’s rich in these beneficial fatty acids. Anchovies, herring, mackerel, oysters, salmon and sardines top this list. If you prefer more of a supplement than actually eating fish, cod liver oil might get you where you need to go. One tablespoon provides your daily recommended dosage of omega 3’s as well as vitamins A and D.

Potassium

For some people, a low potassium level plays a part in decreased hearing. By upping your intake of foods like apricots, bananas, beet greens, lima beans, milk, oranges, potatoes, and raisins, you can help maintain your ability to hear normally.

The electrical impulses that are transmitted to the brain that we comprehend as sounds are affected by the amount of fluid within the inner ear. When supplied with enough potassium, we effectively give ourselves the ability to regulate the fluid within our body which ensures the proper flow of fluids to the ears. These fluid levels tend to drop as we age, and by keeping your potassium levels up, you can help to balance these levels.

Zinc

With a rise in the population for tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, it’s a good idea to keep your zinc levels up. The areas of the inner ear contain the largest amount of zinc in the entire body, and without the proper levels, there’s the likelihood of tinnitus developing over time.

To combat this detrimental decrease, be sure eat plenty of needs, legumes, seeds, and vegetables. Meats like beef, pork, and chicken with dark meat are good options, as well as dark chocolate, split peas, and oysters. With all these options, there should be plenty of opportunities to keep your zinc intake where it needs to be.

The key to meeting your body’s needs is to eat the foods you know you enjoy, then try new things to see if they’re a good fit. Prepare them in different ways to find what your preferences are, and don’t give up just because it’s not something you’d normally eat. With the boom of the internet, recipes abound, and your likely to find a dish to make just about anything palatable.

Hiding spinach in a green smoothie with bananas and peanut butter, or chickpeas and rice in a soup or stew are great ways to help you and your kids to get the variety needed to fulfill your body’s needs. Stir fry or steam some asparagus, artichokes, and black beans to top a dish of rice with slivered almonds.

Making food fun while sharing it, and the skills to prepare it, with friends and family can be the best part of the day. Knowing it’s good for them and helping them learn how and why will ensure that others become aware of the benefits to their auditory system.