In the fight to keep your body healthy and functioning properly, minerals play an important role. Research indicates that some minerals may help in protecting our hearing health.

Potassium

Potassium is responsible for regulating the amount of fluid in your blood and tissue. That’s important to your hearing health because fluid in the inner ear is dependent upon a rich supply of potassium, especially in that part of the ear that translates the noises we hear into electrical impulses the brain interprets as sound. As we age, those levels naturally drop and contribute to presbycusis – or age-related hearing loss.

Folic Acid

Studies have shown that adults over the age of 50 with low levels of folic acid in their blood are 34% more likely to develop presbycusis. Some studies show folic acid supplements may reduce hearing loss in men by 25%. That might be because the body uses folic acid to metabolize homocysteine, an inflammatory compound that reduces circulation. Good circulation is an important component in keeping the hair cells of the inner ear healthy and working properly.

Magnesium

Research conducted at the University of Michigan Kresge Hearing Research Institute has shown that people pretreated with magnesium (along with Vitamins A, C, and E) were protected from noise-related hearing loss. Scientists believe this is because magnesium combats the effects of free radicals emitted during loud noises. Also, lack of adequate magnesium in the inner ear causes the blood vessels to shrink, depriving them of valuable oxygen.

On a balanced diet, our bodies usually produce enough of these minerals to keep us healthy and functioning effectively. As always, check with your physician before changing or adding any supplements to your diet.

~Content provided by Healthy Hearing~