It’s no secret that eating healthy is great for your overall health — reducing the risk of chronic diseases, supporting brain function, improving mental health, helping you stay active — and beyond. But another benefit of nutritious noshing may be music to women’s ears in particular:
Women who eat a healthy diet may reduce their risk of hearing loss by 30 percent — according to a study of 71,000 female nurses over a period of 22 years.
You heard that right. Researchers collected detailed information on these women’s diets every four years and discovered that those with a healthy pattern of eating had a lower risk of moderate or worse hearing loss. Their nourishing regimen included a balance of foods from the Alternate Mediterranean diet (AMED) and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH). This meant more vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains — and less processed meat, refined sugar, alcohol, and fruit juices.
Just as a wholesome diet may help reduce the risk of hearing loss for women, remember that better hearing, in turn, can help everyone stay healthy.
Maintaining your hearing health starts with getting your hearing tested by a licensed hearing care professional — every three years once you’re 50 is ideal. If it turns out you have hearing loss, treating it with hearing aids can:
Improve your mental health
Better hearing can help with social anxiety and isolation by empowering you to catch up with others or engage in social activities like attending a community education class, volunteering, and so on.
Keep you physically active
Whether you’re exercising or gardening, better hearing lessens the chance of tripping or falling by helping to increase awareness of your surroundings and support your balance and gait.
Help prevent dementia
The latest report by The Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care revealed that managing your hearing loss by midlife (age 40–65) could contribute to prevention or delay of dementia.
And like the advantages of a healthy diet, the list of better hearing benefits goes on. Hear, hear!
So, while you’re Googling the latest “healthy + still tasty + recipes” — why not also set up an appointment to get your hearing tested? Hearing tests are painless, often free, and easy to set up. Simply type your zip code in here and you’ll find a list of hearing care professionals near you.
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