- Hearing declines with age. About 50% of her 75+ adults in the US have disabling hearing loss.
- Age-related hearing loss cannot be stopped at this time.
- Researchers at the University of Guelph and the Tufts University/Fatty Acid Institute found a link between increased omega-3 fatty acids in the blood and reduced age-related hearing problems.
It’s not uncommon for some of our functions to become less effective as we age.
In fact, studies show that hearing loss rates are:
Although age-related hearing loss cannot be stopped yet, people can take steps to protect their hearing, including:
Now, researchers from the University of Guelph and Tufts University/Fatty Acid Institute found that middle-aged and older adults
This study was recently published at Nutrition 2023the major annual meeting of the American Academy of Nutrition.
Dr. Michael I. McBurneySenior Fellow at the Fatty Acids Institute and Adjunct Professor at the University of Guelph School of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences and Tufts University Friedman School of Nutritional Sciences and Policy, said the study’s first author. medical news today They decided to study the effects of omega-3s on age-related hearing problems.
“
cochlear metabolism In animals it was affected by omega-3. High fish and omega-3 intakes were inversely associated with age-related hearing loss in humans. We therefore decided to investigate the relationship between plasma omega-3 levels and self-reported hearing loss. UK Biobank Cohort — A very large cross-sectional study. “— Dr. Michael I. McBurney, Lead Study Author
For this study, Dr. McBurney and his team used the self-reported hearing status and blood DHA levels of over 100,000 people between the ages of 40 and 69 from the UK Biobank.
In their analysis, the researchers found that participants in the highest quintile of DHA levels in their blood were 16% less likely to answer yes to the question, “Do you have any hearing difficulties?” discovered. compared to people in the lowest quintile of DHA levels.
Participants in the highest quintile were also 11% less likely to answer yes to the question, “Do you have difficulty following a conversation when there is ambient noise?” compared to the bottom quintile.
Scientists found that middle-aged and older adults with high DHA levels were 8-20% less likely to report age-related hearing loss than those with low DHA levels.
“We hypothesized that there might be an inverse relationship between plasma omega-3 levels and age- and sex-adjusted hearing loss,” said Dr. McBurney.
“Even with further adjustment for poverty, it was rewarding to be able to confirm this hypothesis (Townsend Deprivation Index), behavioral characteristics (BMI, smoking, alcohol consumption), inflammation
Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of “good” fat that are required for various functions of the body and are “essential” fats.
There are three main types of omega-3 fatty acids.
The body needs omega-3 fatty acids for:
Over the past few years, a lot of research has been done on omega-3 fatty acids and their effects on other areas of body health.
Also, previous research has shown that omega-3s may help with certain ailments, such as:
The body needs omega-3 fatty acids, but it cannot make them on its own. Instead, we must resort to consuming them through omega-3 rich foods.
Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids include:
Dr Felker said he found the study encouraging because omega-3 fatty acids are “taking another hit.”
“Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to affect heart and brain development in utero. with babyAnd we grow old with cognitive impairment,” she explained. “And now there seems to be a link to improving hearing, or at least preventing hearing loss.”
“The power of this study is the large subject population,” added Dr. Volker. “The weakness of this study is that it is only self-reporting of people’s hearing loss. So we don’t yet know if there is a direct relationship.”
For those looking to take advantage of the potential health benefits of omega-3s, the most important place to increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids is your diet, Dr. Volker said.
Foods high in omega-3s include:
- Fish (such as mackerel and salmon)
- other
seafood (i.e. oysters) - Nuts and seeds (flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, etc.)
- soy
“Randomized controlled trials using omega-3 fatty acids to examine long-term hearing loss in very large populations are needed to determine whether there is a strong association between omega-3 fatty acids and hearing loss. added Dr Volker.
“This decision will require a randomized, placebo-controlled omega-3 intervention trial in humans,” he continued. “However, there is considerable evidence that high omega-3 status, or low EPA+DHA levels, are associated with positive effects on brain, vision, and cardiovascular function. Many chronic diseases, The risk of premature birth and all-cause mortality is associated with low omega-3 intake and status.”
“It’s important to eat foods rich in EPA+DHA and/or use omega-3 supplements,” added Dr. McBurney.
“To achieve the recommended EPA+DHA status, we recommend measuring blood EPA+DHA levels, followed by dietary guidance and modification as needed.”
Dr. Elliott CorzinA hearing loss expert at Mass Eye and Ear, who was not involved in the study, agreed that more research was needed on this subject.
“In the present study, we investigated the potential association between blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids and subjective hearing impairment. It is not possible to say definitively that omega-3 fatty acids prevent hearing loss.There may be other untested factors that explain the findings.For example, people with higher omega-3 fatty acids may be more health conscious. and other variables may be directly related to hearing health.”
— Dr. Elliot Cosin, hearing loss specialist
“Promising future research is needed to better understand how diet affects hearing health,” Dr. Kozin added. “This study supports high-quality research focused on such nutrition.”
