A lifetime’s exposure to loud noises can take its toll on our hearing, in tandem with age-related changes in the inner ear’s balance system. But research shows that particular nutrients can help prevent or lessen the effects of age-related hearing loss, tinnitus, and balance problems.
Whether you’re turning up the volume or finding yourself oddly unsteady, physical changes alter your hearing and balance as you age. Learn how the power of foods can reduce their effects.
Nestled inside the cochlea – the hearing vessel of the inner ear – are thousands of tiny hair cells. These sensory cells convert sound vibrations from the outside world into nerve signals that travel to the auditory cortex in the brain to be processed into sounds. When loud sounds strike these delicate hair cells, they bend and break; once broken, the hair cells don’t grow back, which impacts on hearing in later years. Such “sensorineural” hearing loss arises from cumulative damage to the sensory hair cells in the inner ear or from damage to the nerve pathways. In addition, there are “conductive” issues that interfere with sounds travelling into the inner ear, caused by factors such as an accumulation of wax in the ear canal, an infection in the middle ear, or damage from a perforated ear drum.
Certain micronutrients are thought to have a protective effect on the inner ear hair cells. Magnesium, for instance, helps to counter the effects of damaging free radicals on the inner ear hair cells. Studies also show that antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E work with magnesium to help protect against noise-induced trauma. Higher intakes of omega-3 fats from fish have been linked to protecting against hearing loss, too. Folate can help to break down homocysteine, an inflammatory compound, that, in turn, boosts circulation to the inner ear hair cells. See here for foods that support hearing.
Sounds over 85 decibels (equal to heavy traffic noise) creates free radicals that damage hearing.
Our sense of where we are in space, which enables us to balance, is controlled by the vestibular system in the inner ear, a network of tiny, fluid-filled tubes with specialized nerve endings that send signals to the brain’s balance centre. From the age of 55 or so, we start to lose cells in this system, which may cause us to feel dizzy and a bit unsteady.
In a healthy ear, electrolyte-containing fluid is kept at a constant volume and changes in this volume can cause symptoms such as tinnitus and dizziness. Dehydration exacerbates dizziness, so keeping hydrated with the right drinks and foods (fresh fruit and vegetables are rich in water) will enhance the function of the vestibular system by helping to balance electrolytes in the inner ear fluid.