Nutrition for Improved Hearing

Diet has recently been shown to play an important role in maintaining good hearing and preventing hearing loss. In a study published in the prestigious American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, higher intakes of antioxidant vitamins (mainly beta-carotene and vitamins C and E) and magnesium were associated with better hearing and a lower risk of hearing loss.

Beta-carotene, or beta-carotene, is the orange pigment responsible for the orange colour of many fruits and vegetables and has distinct antioxidant properties. Foods rich in beta-carotene are carrots, sweet potatoes, apricots (fresh or dried), chicory, spinach, pumpkin, cabbage, tomato juice, chard, grapefruit (pink or red), mango, lettuce, watermelon, broccoli, etc.

Vitamin C is the best known and most important of all vitamins and is found in many plant foods. Citrus fruits, broccoli, dark green dense leafy vegetables, red and green peppers, strawberries and kiwis are foods rich in vitamin C.

Vitamin E is found in abundance in the following foods: vegetable oils (wheat germ, corn oil and soybean oils), nuts (almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts), seeds (sunflower seeds), green leafy vegetables (spinach, broccoli).

Magnesium is found in green leafy vegetables (spinach, greens, kale or chard), fish, yoghurt (low-fat), nuts (pumpkin seeds, almonds, sunflower seeds, cashews, walnuts, flaxseeds) and whole grains.