What do bananas have to do with hearing health?
Discover how potassium-rich bananas may support hearing health as you get older.
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Key points
Potassium contributes to improving the fluid balance in the inner ear, supporting hearing health.
Other essential minerals like zinc and magnesium also play a role in protecting hearing health.
Incorporating bananas and other potassium-rich foods in your diet could help maintain a healthy balance of minerals and support lifelong healthy hearing.
We’re learning more and more about the healing benefits of plants and nutrients.
Adding superfoods to our diets may help to balance our bodies and protect against various diseases and illnesses.
But if we told you that the banana was a superfood that supports hearing health, would you think we were… bananas?
It’s one of the more accessible and versatile fruits on the planet and incorporating this superfood into your diet is super fun and super easy.
There are four groups of essential nutrients: vitamins, essential fatty acids, essential amino acids, and, you guessed it, minerals.
Minerals are inorganic substances found in the earth that are necessary for the human body to go through its daily functions and processes.
We ingest minerals via plants that absorb them in their growing stages or by eating meat from animals that eat these mineral-rich plants.
The five major minerals of the human body are calcium, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, and potassium.
Bananas pack a mighty punch of potassium, one of those five essential minerals crucial to the human body’s healthy functioning.
They help to maintain normal blood pressure, working in tandem with sodium. On its own, the banana is an electrolyte, helping maintain a healthy balance of fluids in the body.
This is pivotal in supporting our hearing health, because fluid in the inner ear is dependent upon an adequate supply of potassium.
The inner ear is what ultimately receives sound information from the world and transfers it to the brain for processing via the auditory pathway.
Begin healthier hearing today
Because most hearing loss is irreversible, eating an extra banana every day will not restore normal hearing. But, you can help look after your current level of general health and possibly your hearing starting today, by incorporating these essential minerals mindfully into your diet.
Beyond diet, the team at Audika can help make the most of the hearing levels you currently have by providing a quick and easy free* hearing check. If an issue is found, we’ll be able to assess your unique hearing loss, and present next steps in intervention, introducing hearing loss solutions that perfectly suit your lifestyle.
*Free for people aged 26 and over.
There are other foods that may benefit hearing health. Zinc is a particularly important mineral because the inner ear contains the highest concentration of this mineral in the entire body.
While the evidence is not conclusive, some studies have shown a link between zinc deficiencies and tinnitus, the condition of constant ringing or buzzing in the ear.
Surprisingly, oysters are the richest source of zinc out there. You can also get zinc into your body by eating red meat and chicken, beans, and nuts.
Magnesium is another essential mineral that could help support hearing health. It can be found in vegetables, nuts and seeds.
It may play a role in cases of noise-induced hearing loss. If you have to deal with too-loud sound environments, perhaps at work, ensuring you eat a balanced diet that includes good sources of magnesium is a healthy plan.
