Healthy diet reduces risk of hearing loss in women

Women following a healthy dietary pattern had an approximately 30 percent lower risk of moderate or worse hearing loss, compared with women not following healthy dietary patterns, suggests the findings of a new study that continued for 22 years. Nationwide disability surveys have estimated the hearing loss to be the second most common cause of disability. In India, 63 million people (6.3%) suffer from the significant auditory loss.

Sharon Curhan et.al conducted a study to examine the relations between adherence to the Alternate Mediterranean diet (AMED), the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and the Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010), and risk of hearing loss.

The study found that those following an overall healthy diet had a lower risk of moderate or worse hearing loss.

The longitudinal cohort study included 81,818 women aged 27–44 years. The diet was evaluated every 4 years with the use of food frequency questionnaires and calculated AMED, DASH, and AHEI-2010 adherence scores.

Based on the questionnaires independent associations between adherence scores and risk of self-reported moderate or worse hearing loss was examined.

Moreover, findings in a sub-cohort of over 33,000 women for whom detailed hearing-related information had been collected suggest that the magnitude of the reduced risk may be even greater than 30 percent, and may also pertain to the AHEI-2010. The AMED diet includes extra virgin olive oil, grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts, fish and moderate intake of alcohol. The DASH diet is high in fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy, and low in sodium. The AHEI-2010 diet has common components with AMED and DASH.

The study found that strictly following healthy dietary patterns are associated with lower risk of hearing the loss of women and consuming a healthy diet may be helpful in reducing the risk of acquired hearing loss.

"Eating well contributes to overall good health, and it may also be helpful in reducing the risk of hearing loss," said Curhan.

The study was published in the Journal of Nutrition.