You max out the TV volume... crank up the stereo... and try to keep up in conversations.
As we age, our hearing isn't what it used to be.
Now, the mainstream will tell you that there's nothing you can do to slow down age-related hearing loss, short of wearing earplugs everywhere you go.
And if you’ve already lost some hearing, your doc may tell you that you’ve just got to learn to live with it.
But hearing loss can also lead to more serious consequences, like causing key areas of your brain to SHRINK, upping your risk of dementia.
So, to keep your hearing sharp as you age… and maybe even turn the volume BACK UP inside your ear… you won’t want to miss what the latest research has found.
Because as it turns out, all it takes is a trio of common vitamins and one mineral.
In a study on rats, Spanish researchers found less age-related hearing loss among those that ate food enriched with vitamins A, C, and E, as well as the mineral magnesium, compared to those that ate regular chow.
The theory is that vitamins A, C, and E have powerful antioxidant properties that can protect the delicate structures inside your ear from free-radical damage.
And we know that magnesium can help your blood vessels relax, which sends more nutrient-rich blood to the spiral part of your inner ear, where sound vibrations get turned into nerve impulses (a.k.a. your "cochlea").
So, if you want to hold on to your hearing as you age, a good daily multivitamin that contains vitamins A, C, and E -- along with magnesium -- is a must.
You already know that you should take your vitamins. Yet so many folks find an excuse not to.
Well, fortunately, there's a way to cover those bases that's way more delicious than just swallowing a capsule -- and it just so happens to be coming into season with fall's cooler weather.
I'm talking about spinach!
Spinach and its other dark, leafy green cousins (like kale and Swiss chard) are rich in both magnesium AND vitamins A, C, and E.
Now, even if you hated eating spinach as a kid, it can be pretty tasty when you add it to omelets at breakfast... mix it with sliced strawberries and almonds for a lunchtime salad... or sauté it in garlic and olive oil as a dinner side dish.
It's a feast not only for your eyes and mouth -- but also for your ears!