Have You Heard? You Are What You Eat!
You are what you eat. How many times did you hear your mother say this while you were growing up in Houston, TX, wasting yet another weekend morning sitting on the couch eating junk food? Turns out, she actually knew what she was talking about!
One out of every three people over the age of 65 will develop some sort of hearing loss. As you grow older, why not take your mother’s advice and eat foods that can help your hearing health?
Antioxidants and folic acid can reduce the risk of hearing loss by up to 20 percent. The antioxidants work to reduce the amount of free radicals in your body that can damage the nerve tissue in your inner ear. Antioxidants can be found in many foods such as spinach, asparagus, baked beans, broccoli, peas and eggs.
Omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin D have been shown to drastically reduce age-related hearing loss. Fish such as salmon, tuna and sardines are great sources of omega 3 and vitamin D. Studies have shown that those that ate fish at least twice a week were over 40 percent less likely to develop age-related hearing loss. Researchers think that Omega 3 helps to strengthen the blood vessels in your ear’s sensory system.
Zinc is found in a wide variety of foods such as shellfish, eggs, nuts and even pumpkin seeds. Studies have shown that zinc is able to reduce the symptoms of tinnitus and can drastically increase the recovery time of sudden hearing loss.
Sweet potatoes, carrots and dark leafy greens are chock-full of vitamin A. Vitamin A has been shown to reduce the risk of moderate to severe hearing loss by almost 50 percent.
We all know that stopping by the Houston grocery store and picking up some fruits and veggies won’t guarantee you’ll never lose your hearing. But, it sure is a delicious way to try.