Omega-3 fatty acids may help protect against hearing loss
Over the past few years, much research has been conducted on omega-3 fatty acids and their impact on other areas of body health, such as reducing inflammation, improving eye health, and protecting against age-related neurodegeneration.
It is known that omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to have an effect on the heart, brain development in utero with babies, as well as we get older with cognitive impairments. Now there seems to be a link with improving hearing or at least stopping hearing loss.
As we age, it is not uncommon for the effectiveness of some of our senses—including vision, hearing, and taste—to decrease. In fact, research shows the rate of hearing loss increases with age. In the United States, about 25% of people ages 65 to 74 and almost half of adults aged 75 and older have disabling hearing loss.
Although age-related hearing loss cannot yet be stopped, people can take steps to safeguard their hearing, such as avoiding loud noises and using hearing protection when in high-noise situations.
The link between omega-3s and hearing loss: Researchers have now found middle-aged and older adults with higher levels of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were 8-20% less likely to report age-related hearing issues compared to those with lower DHA levels.
The power of this study is that it is a large population. The weaknesses of this study are that it’s just self-reporting on people’s hearing loss.
What are omega-3 fatty acids? Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of “good” fat the body needs for a variety of functions, making them “essential” fats.
There are three main types of omega-3 fatty acids:
The body needs omega-3 fatty acids to:
- build and keep cell membranes healthy
- begin the process of making hormones responsible for blood clotting and keeping the artery walls working
- assist in regulating genetic function
Although the body requires omega-3 fatty acids, it is not able to make omega-3 fatty acids on its own. Instead, it must rely on obtaining them through foods rich in omega-3s and supplements. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids include fatty, oily fishes like salmon, mackerel, anchovies, tuna, and sardines, walnuts, flaxseed, chia seeds, seaweed and algae, edamame, certain oils, including canola and soybean. For those looking to tap into the potential health benefits of omega-3s, diet is the number one place to increase your omega-3 fatty acids intake.
In conclusion, there is a caveat. The current study examined a potential association between blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids and subjective hearing complaints. The current study shows a potential association, and one cannot use it to say definitely that omega-3 fatty acid prevents hearing loss. There may be other untested factors that explain the findings. For example, those individuals with high omega-3 fatty acids could be more health conscious, and other variables may (be) directly linked to hearing health.
Adapted from an article by Corrie Pelc. Fact checked by Jill Seladi-Schulman, Ph.D., at
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/omega-3-fatty-acids-age-related-hearing-loss-study;
