Wish you could get your hearing back? If you’re like me, you’ve probably had your share of what I call the “rock n roll” years, or that period of time when we simply did not care for our hearing and disregarded loud music and sounds.
You probably think all is lost when it comes to hearing loss, but did you know you can make changes to help get your hearing back? We will very likely live to see the day when hair cells are regenerated, and when new hair cells establish connection with the nerve cells in your auditory system we will see the end of hearing loss! 1 While this is not the reality today, did you know that you can dramatically improve your hearing from damage done in those rock n roll years? These are several foods and top supplements that will help your auditory system work to its fullest so you can better enjoy music, sounds and speech!
1) ACE your hearing (vitamins A, C and E)!
Researchers have reported that a vitamin A deficiency results in a decline in sensory cells in the nose, tongue and inner ear 2, while supplementing vitamin A is very likely regenerative (3, 3, 4, 5, 6) and can even play a significant role for babies developing in the womb. 7. Great sources for Vitamin A include sweet potato, carrots and dark leafy greens.
The antioxidant properties of vitamins C and E may help prevent hearing loss. Hearing experts have reported that vitamins A, C and E work together with magnesium to stop free radicals from forming in reaction to loud noise. Great sources of vitamin C include peppers, guavas, dark leafy greens, kiwi and broccoli. Vitamin E can be found in spinach, almonds, sunflower seeds and avocados.
2) Increase Your Mineral Consumption: From Zinc to Magnesium
Even though zinc deficiency has not been established to be a cause of hearing loss, for some cases it has proven to help reduce oxidative stress of the inner ear due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. 8. Great sources for this mineral include wheat germ, spinach, pumpkin and squash seeds and cashews.
Our levels of potassium decrease as we age. Our ears may be highly susceptible to this drop since potassium plays an important role in the way cells interact within the inner ear. It might be a good idea to increase your intake of white beans, spinach, baked potatoes, bananas and apricots.
Magnesium supports healthy nerve function in our auditory system and helps protect the arterial linings derived from physical stress. Dark leafy greens, nuts and seeds, fish and some beans and lentils are great sources for this key nutrient.
3) Look Into Gingko and Vinpocetine
Not only can Gingko biloba improve your mental function (memory, speed of thinking and attention), but patients taking it have reported improvements in their hearing, specially those with tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and those with hearing loss related to the inner ear. 9. Vinpocetine (the extract from the seeds of the periwinkle plant) is also widely known for its powerful effects associated with aging of the brain. If you have experienced hearing loss derived from the use and abuse of antibiotics. 10. It also helps support increased ear and brain blood flow, thus promoting use of oxygen and protecting against free-radical damage. 11.
Remember to work with a knowledgeable naturopath or chiropractor to help you improve your hearing. Chiropractors have actually been shown to help hearing loss derived from trauma to the head or neck.
Hearing Back…From You!
Have you ever experienced hearing loss? Comment below.
Further resources:
1. Hair Cell Regeneration and Hearing Loss
http://report.nih.gov/nihfactsheets/viewfactsheet.aspx?csid=94
2. Vitamin A deficiency and sensory function.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3916045
3. Vitamin A deficiency increases noise susceptibility in guinea pigs.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2366106
4. Retinoic acid applied after noise exposure can recover the noise-induced hearing loss in mice.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18720064
5. Serum levels of retinol and other antioxidants for hearing impairment among Japanese older adults.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19349590
6. Vitamin A supplementation in preschool children and risk of hearing loss as adolescents and young adults in rural Nepal: randomised trial cohort follow-up study.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22234907
7. Gestational vitamin A deficiency: a novel cause of sensorineural hearing loss in the developing world?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24120698
8. Zinc in the treatment of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20928835
9. Effects of Ginkgo biloba extract on the cochlear damage induced by local gentamicin installation in guinea pigs. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=J%20Korean%20Med%20Sci%2C%201998%3B%2013%3A%20525-8
10. Vinpocetine protects from aminoglycoside antibiotic-induced hearing loss in guinea pig in vivo.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10854574
11. Mechanism of action of vinpocetine
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Acta%20Pharm%20Hung%2C%201996%3B%2066%3A%20213-24
