Can Eating Healthy Prevent Hearing Loss?

We all know that eating a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables is good for us. However, what you might not know is that it may also lower your risk of hearing loss.

How a Healthy Diet Benefits Your Hearing

As we age, our risk of hearing loss increases. There are numerous reasons for this, including:

Age-related damage to the ear and nerve pathways
Medical treatments that can damage hearing
Exposure to loud noise
Some illnesses and medical conditions

High blood pressure, diabetes and chronic inflammation are a handful of conditions that have been shown to increase your risk of hearing loss. You can reduce your risk of these conditions by eating a healthy diet.

Research on Diet and Hearing Loss

One study collected data from 71,000 women from 1991-2013. Participants received mail questionnaires every four years asking about their eating habits over the past year as well as if they had experienced any moderate to severe hearing problems.

After 12 years, researchers found that women who reported eating a diet high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains had a 30% lower risk of hearing loss than those who did not.

What Foods Should You Eat to Protect Your Hearing?

Next time you’re perusing the aisles at Food & Thought, make sure to pick up plenty of fruits and vegetables. Additionally, foods that are high in nutrients like potassium, zinc, magnesium, vitamin C, omega fatty acids and folic acid are other good options to benefit your ears. Examples of these foods include:

Legumes
Bananas
Broccoli
Garlic
Spinach
Asparagus
Potatoes
Artichokes
Citrus fruits
Bell peppers
Fatty fish like salmon
Dark chocolate

Other Steps to Protecting Your Hearing Health

In addition to eating a healthy diet, you can take other steps to protect your hearing health. These include:

Avoiding loud noises or using hearing protection devices like custom earplugs when you are exposed.
Getting regular physical activity to help keep the blood vessels in your ears healthy.
Scheduling a hearing test at the first sign of hearing loss. The earlier you seek treatment, the better it will be for your hearing health.
If your audiologist recommends hearing aids, wear them consistently to get the most benefit from your device.

To learn more or to have your hearing evaluated by one of our experts, call Center For Hearing today.

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The Future of Hearing Devices: Deep Neural Networks & Artificial Intelligence

February 14, 2025

Hearing technology has come a long way over the years; however, one aspect of hearing loss that many hearing aids have difficulty addressing is trouble understanding speech in noise. Fortunately, some of today’s state-of-the-art devices can solve this problem utilizing deep neural networks (DNN) and artificial intelligence (AI). Sensorineural hearing loss causes difficulty understanding speech in background noise. This type of hearing loss is caused by damage to the hair cells of the inner ear that convert soundwaves into electrical energy, which are then interpreted by the brain. This causes the quality and quantity of the signal sent from the ears to the brain to diminish over time, resulting in the brain expending more energy and effort to make sense of it. DNNs may help improve the transmission of the neural code, making hearing easier on the brain. [1] It’s important to know what DNNs are to understand how they can help. DNNs are a subset of AI. They rapidly analyze large data sets so that they can teach hearing aids and other technological devices how to respond to data like a human would, all while verifying accuracy and making corrections. DNNs are beneficial in hearing technology because they can help with speech enhancement. DNNs can be applied as “time-frequency masks,” meaning select sounds—like speech—are allowed while other sounds are suppressed. DNNs can also identify and separate multiple voices, selecting a primary voice to emphasize and secondary voices to suppress. This feature can help hearing device wearers in a variety of settings. For example, at a restaurant or party, the hearing device can emphasize a conversation partner, allow other nearby voices at a reduced volume and suppress background noises such as dishes clinking. Schedule an appointment to talk to Center for Hearing about our vast state-of-the-art hearing solutions today— (239) 434-0086. [1] Published by Douglas L. Beck. (2021, January 15). Deep neural networks in hearing devices. Retrieved April 2, 2021 from https://www.hearingreview.com/hearing-products/hearing-aids/deep-neural-networks

Startup Aims to Develop the First Gene Therapy for Hearing Loss

February 14, 2025

A Boston biotech startup is attempting to develop the first gene therapy treatment for hearing loss. If successful, it promises to offer new hope to the estimated 300,000 Americans who suffer from gene-based hearing loss—a number that includes more than 4,000 newborns. The timing may not be ideal, but biotech companies have been largely immune from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing recession. Developing new drugs takes years, so these companies are better able to weather storms. And the efforts of biotechnology companies that are focusing on tools to prevent and treat potentially fatal health threats has resulted in soaring stock values for many of these companies, even in the face of the current crisis. Akouos, the Boston startup, was founded in 2016. Its goal is to develop the first gene therapy to treat hearing loss and is targeting a specific form of deafness that results from mutations in a single gene. They are experimenting with adeno-associated viruses, using them as vectors to deliver DNA that encodes a functioning gene in certain target cells. Around 7,000 people are afflicted with this type of genetic hearing loss. Adeno-associated viruses are considered viable candidates because they don’t usually cause disease and can be customized to treat a variety of genetic conditions. The company has partnered with two influential organizations: Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Lonza, a Swiss manufacturing company that holds contracts with various pharmaceutical makers. Manny Simons, Akouos’ co-founder and chief executive, holds a degree in neuroscience from Harvard College, a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. His desire to help those with hearing loss stems from his passion for playing the piano. “It’s easy to take hearing for granted,” said in a Boston Globe interview. “Maybe because music has been important to me, it’s something that I take a little less for granted.” [1] [1] Saltzman, J. (2020, June 22). Akouos, a startup developing a gene therapy for hearing loss, raises IPO value to $125 million - The Boston Globe. Retrieved June 30, 2020, from https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/22/business/ipo-upped-akouos-boston-startup-working-gene-therapy-hearing-loss/