hearing loss

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!

Q: Can any supplements help my hearing loss?

GR: Hearing loss can be caused by everything from genetics and age to long-term exposure to noise -- maybe a few too many rock concerts or hours spent working construction, both of which can wear down the delicate goings-on in your ear.

But that’s not all – because some of the seemingly innocuous things you do as part of your daily routine could be sapping the sound from your ears.

Talking on a cellphone is one.

But what may shock you is that popping OTC pain pills is another.

In fact, as shown in a study out of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, older women using ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) for at least six years were at the highest risk to develop hearing impairment -- and other studies have shown similar results in men.

As well, longtime readers know that I’m constantly on the lookout for harmful environmental toxins -- and there’s even a word for the ones that specifically damage our ears.

Antibiotics like erythromycin, chemo drugs, and high-dose aspirin can also be toxic to your ears — sometimes causing tinnitus, the incessant ringing, whistling, buzzing, clicking noise that comes from inside your ears and never seems to go away.

That’s right – loss of hearing doesn’t always mean that the world around you gets quieter. Sometimes it gets LOUDER… from inside your own head!
As if being hard-of-hearing isn’t hard enough!

Thankfully, though, nature has given us what we need to shut it all down and get the volume just right.

Pine bark extract has been shown to relieve mild to moderate tinnitus. I typically recommend 100 to 150 mg daily for four weeks.

Ginkgo biloba can also reduce symptoms -- and it works even better in conjunction with low doses of zinc and vitamin B12.

Even acupuncture can help treat hearing loss – and it’ll soothe your aches and pains to boot. It may even eliminate your need to take OTC or prescription painkillers!

As well, using hearing aids can do more than help you adjust the world’s volume – recent studies have shown that they can also help stave off cognitive decline, bolster your social life, and keep you out of the hospital and away from the emergency room.

Unfortunately, health insurance rarely covers these essential accessories – which means that they can get expensive – so make sure you shop around before emptying your wallet for one.

Got a question brewing between those ears? Drop me a line at askdrrothfeld@nutritionandhealing.com, and I may answer yours next.