A healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy can help to reduce your risk of heart disease by maintaining blood pressure and cholesterol levels. High blood pressure and cholesterol can be a symptom of too much salt and saturated fats in your diet. While people are usually well aware that your diet affects your heart health and blood pressure, now researchers are discovering there is hard evidence that eating healthy and hearing health are connected.
Researchers from Brigham And Women’s Hospital say that women who closely followed healthy diets, such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet or the Alternate Mediterranean diet (AMED), were much less likely to suffer from hearing loss.
“A common perception is that hearing loss is an inevitable part of the aging process. However, our research focuses on identifying potentially modifiable risk factors — that is, things that we can change in our diet and lifestyle to prevent hearing loss or delay its progression,” says lead author Sharon Curhan, MD, a physician and epidemiologist in the Brigham’s Channing Division of Network Medicine, in a release. “
Using 22 years of dietary information that had been collected from the participants, the research team looked to see how similar the women’s diets resembled healthy diets.
Those that followed the healthy diets had a 30% lower chance of experiencing a decline in their mid-frequency hearing sensitivity. In higher frequencies, women with healthy diets had a 25% lower risk.
“We observed that those following an overall healthy diet had a lower risk of moderate or worse hearing loss,” said study first author Dr Sharon Curhan, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
The researchers analyzed data from nearly 71 000 women followed for 22 years in the Nurses’ Health Study II.
The study found that those whose eating habits most closely resembled the Alternate Mediterranean Diet (AMED) or the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet were 30% less likely to suffer moderate or severe hearing loss than those whose eating habits were least like those diets.
The AMED diet features extra virgin olive oil, grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts, fish and moderate intake of alcohol. The DASH diet emphasizes fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy, while leaving salt out.
A healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy can help to reduce your risk of heart disease by maintaining blood pressure and cholesterol levels. High blood pressure and cholesterol can be a symptom of too much salt and saturated fats in your diet. Eating a portion of oily fish – such as salmon and trout – each week can also help to lower your risk of developing heart disease. The high levels of omega-3 fatty acids in oily fish are good for heart health. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a major risk factor for stroke and heart disease, and can also contribute to hearing loss. The link between high blood pressure and impaired hearing now seems clearer than ever. When your blood pressure is high, the blood pushes through your arteries at high speeds, which can damage the lining of artery walls, allowing fatty build up of plaque. Your entire body is affected by this including your very sensitive ears.
Whether you have hearing loss or you hear just fine, it’s always a good time to start eating healthier. It’s important for your entire body, including your ears. If you suspect that you do have hearing loss, visit us at Glendora Hearing Aids to have your hearing tested. We can help you find the best treatment for your situation so you can focus on having a healthy happy life.
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Book an appointment with Dr. Kevin Ivory to start hearing better today.
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