Photo credit: Dom J from Pexels
by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
Can bananas protect against hearing loss?
This report from Australia states that nutrients in bananas–zinc and potassium–can help protect hearing.
The potassium reportedly protects against hearing loss and the zinc against tinnitus.
That may be true and everyone should eat a healthy diet including at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily, but I doubt that these two nutrients by themselves will prevent auditory damage from noise exposure.
And I’m always puzzled that researchers and the public look for various cures or treatments for auditory disorders–many of questionable scientific validity or still in a very preliminary stage of development–when there is one proven effective way to protect hearing:
Avoid loud noise, or wear hearing protection if you can’t escape the noise.
Remember: If it sounds too loud, it IS too loud.
