Have you ever heard a fish swim? Recent studies show that the introduction of fish oil and omega-3 fatty acid supplements to the diets of older people (those greater than 50 years of age) can help prevent age related hearing loss.
Most people suffer some form of hearing loss as they go through life, whether it is from exposure to noise, physical blockages, or ear infections.
Nutritional deficiencies have long been associated with hearing loss and the addition of Vitamin D, folic acid and B-12 have shown to help reduce this age old problem.
Now with the addition of fish oil additional protection has been found that may offer significant hearing protection and even regaining some loss that has already shown itself.
Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids known as essential fatty acids.
These long-chain, polyunsaturated fats contain eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) provide many essential functions in the human body.
The nutrients cannot be synthesized by the body and so they must be gotten through the foods we eat.
In simpler times, people got their EPA and DHA entirely from the foods they ate.
Foods such as grass fed organic cattle, eggs from free range chickens, salmon, albacore tuna, and mackerel.
Olive oil, tree nuts, safflower oil, and marine vegetation also provides a great source of these essential fatty acids.
Essential fatty acids have long been used in clinical trials where the cardiovascular system, the circulatory system, the nervous system, and the brain have been concerned.
Only recently have researcher begin to take note of the additional effects these oils have on an individual's health.
The bacterial fighting properties help to stave of infections that may cause hearing loss.
The anti-inflammatory properties keep the inner ear canals from swelling, again protecting our fragile hearing.
While the exact process fish oil plays in protecting hearing has yet to be discovered, the fact that it does this job has been seen in the side notes of a number of clinical trials.
A study by the Australian Association of Gerontology in a study designed to assess the effects of fish oil on the early onset of dementia, found that more than 50% of the treated patients reported an increased ability to hear.
The participants were questioned about this side effect and were unable to determine any other influences that could have produced this benefit.
A future study is being designed but has yet to receive funding.
Because of the plethora of benefits people receive from omega-3 supplements it has been recommended that people over the age of 50 add a high quality supplement to their diet.
While fish can provide the same benefit if added to the diet, it is thought that the addition of large amounts of open water fish may produce unwarranted heavy metal toxicity.
Thousands of people suffer from hearing loss every year, most of it comes on very gradually.
The long term effect of adding fish oil provides a lot of benefits with very few drawbacks.
The chance of reducing a plaguing problem is too much to ignore.
Anecdotal evidence is enough to put this on your next shopping list.
Fish oil and omega-3 fatty acids are the best and the cheapest insurance policy you can buy for you hearing and your overall health.