Several supplements have been shown to slow down, even potentially reverse, hearing loss. One is coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). After supplementing with 160 mg of CoQ10 daily for a month, a group of study participants aged 56-74 reported marked improvements in hearing.
Another supplement worth looking into is folic acid. Dutch researchers enrolled 728 older men and women who had some hearing loss and high homocysteine levels and gave them either 800 mcg of folic acid or a placebo every day for three years. The researchers then retested the participants’ hearing and found that although there was some deterioration in both groups, those who had taken folic acid had significantly less hearing loss in the lower frequencies. (High frequencies were not affected.) An accompanying editorial suggested that the degree of decrease in age-related hearing loss demonstrated in this study could lead to a significant reduction in the need for hearing aids.
Zinc, magnesium, and vitamins E and C also have protective effects on hearing, so your best bet is to take a high-end daily multivitamin supplement. But check nutrient levels carefully, and try to find a product that contains 800 mcg of folic acid and above-RDA dosages of other vitamins and minerals.
