Holiday Habits and Hearing Loss

Holidays are the perfect time to spend with friends and family. While stress from work or studies can lead to a possible buildup of frustration inside you, holidays help you let all of that out and share happy thoughts with the people that care the msot about you. It is very healthy to socialize and spend quality time filled with laughter, chatting or just simple lounging around, as long as you are having a relaxed and easy time. The key is take a break from life’s usual routine and give your mind and body some rest.

Whether it is Halloween or the upcoming Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s, feasting is a must. On the one hand you have kids trick-or-treating in the streets, having the time of their lives, while on the other hand, you have adults preparing delicious pumpkin pies and cakes on the other holidays. Either way, holiday season leads to a lot of sugar intake because no holiday is complete without a wholesome dessert. However, research has proven that some forms of refined sugar are the causes of hearing loss in many people, which leads us to the question, are your holiday habits leading toward hearing loss?

Hearing Loss and Sugar Intake

Excessive use of refined sugar is known to have detrimental effects on the hearing ability. While medical science does not know the exact relationship between the onset of diabetes and hearing loss, it is a fact that out of the 86 million adults in the U.S. who have prediabetes, the rate of hearing loss is 30% higher than in those with normal blood glucose.

Apart from hearing loss, sugar has many other harmful effects on the body. These include dental cavities, obesity, and insulin resistance to name a few. According to the American Diabetes Association, a recent study has shown that hearing loss is twice as common in people that have diabetes as compared to those that do not. 

Food to Improve Hearing

It’s probably clear now that added sugar can lead to a series of health problems. However, not all holiday habits are bad. In order to maintain the feasting and festive nature of holidays without harming our bodies, we need to keep an eye on what foods we are eating during all seasons. Keeping a healthy menu and serving delicious and nutritious food at social and family gatherings can protect our hearing and that of our loved ones. Some of the foods that can be added to holiday meals are listed as follows:

1. Vitamin B-12 & Vitamin D: They are known to protect hearing by 20%. Vitamin B-12 can be found in dairy products, fish, liver and red meat and Vitamin D in fish and egg yolks.
2. Folic Acid: Leafy green vegetables are rich in folic acid and have a great impact on hearing. In fact, studies have revealed that without sufficient levels of folic acid and vitamin B-12, you may have a 39% increased risk of developing some degree of hearing loss.
3. Omega-3 Fats: Found in tofu, brussel sprouts, and cauliflower, Omega-3 fats are good fats that help improve hearing, apart from other functions.
4. Magnesium & Zinc: these minerals have positive impact on the hearing ability.