Ashley Grace
When it comes to your overall body functions and health, minerals play a vital role. Did you know that zinc boosts the immune system and calcium helps in building strong bones? What you probably do not know is that minerals play an important role in improving your hearing health.
Whether you have good hearing or need hearing aids such as hearing devices in Manchester, you have to change your diet accordingly. Minerals are naturally found in rocks and soils and they help the body to perform its daily processes. Your body gets these minerals from plants, which absorb them from the earth and animals that eat the plants.
If you want to protect your ears, you should consider adding the following minerals to your diet:
Zinc
This mineral will boost your immune system and accelerate the healing of wounds. Moreover, you should increase your zinc intake because it helps in keeping away germs that cause ear infections and common cold. According to some research, this mineral is also successful for treating tinnitus in persons who have normal hearing.
However, you should know that zinc interacts with some diuretics and antibiotics, which means that you should speak to your doctor before you taking the supplements. You should consider eating zinc-rich foods such as almonds, peanuts, dark chocolate, lentils, and split peas. To get the right zinc dosage, you should make homemade granola bars with dark chocolate and nuts as the key ingredients.
You should also include raisins, coconut flakes, and quinoa in your granola bars. When you feel comfortable with the process of making this snack, you can tweak the recipe to suit your needs.
Potassium
You should increase your potassium intake to regulate the fluid content in your body tissue and blood. This is important for your hearing health because the inner ear needs fluid to work. As we grow older, the levels of potassium in the body drop.
Although research that links hearing health to potassium intake does not exist, you should still take this mineral to increase your overall health. You should add foods that are rich in potassium such as apricots, raisins, beans, and bananas in your diet.
Magnesium
According to research, people who were treated with magnesium got protection from hearing loss. This mineral is believed to fight the effects of free radicals that are released during loud noises thus protecting the fragile hair cells found in the inner ear. Inadequate magnesium in the inner ear leads to shrinkage of blood vessels thus robbing it of oxygen.
You should start consuming magnesium-rich foods such as potatoes, spinach, bananas, and artichokes. To get the freshest batch of artichokes, you should wait until springtime. Boil them for thirty minutes then serve with yogurt dip.
Folic Acid
This mineral aids your body to generate new cells. According to studies, persons with low folic acid levels are more likely to suffer from presbycusis – age-related hearing loss. Studies show that taking folic acid supplements might slow down the loss of hearing.
This is probably because the body makes use of folic acid to break down homocysteine, which is a compound that decreases circulation. You need good circulation to keep the inner ear hair cells functional and operational. To increase your intake of folic acid, you should consume broccoli, asparagus, and organ meats.
Conclusion
To boost your hearing health, you need to eat a diet that is full of minerals and stay away from processed foods. Before you add any mineral supplements to your diet, you should speak to your physician. Doing so will ensure that there are no interactions that can be harmful to your health.
