Friday May 30, 2014 (foodconsumer.org) -- Taking vitamin supplements such as vitamin C, retinol, riboflavin, and niacin may help prevent age-related hearing loss in older people, a new study in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests.

The study of data from 1910 men and women aged 50 to 80 shows that dietary supplement use was positively associated with better hearing at all frequencies.  

Vitamin C intake alone was associated with better hearing at mid-frequencies (2000 and 3000 Hz) after adjusting for confounders.

Dietary intakes of retinol (vitamin A), riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin b3), and vitamin C (ascorbic acid) were positively correlated with better hearing at most frequencies.

However, serum levels of vitamin D were correlated with worse hearing at mid and high (4000 and 6000 Hz) frequencies.

The study was conducted by Jae Young Choi at Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea and colleagues.  Data for the study came from the 2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.  (David Liu, PHD)

Reference

Ju Wan Kang, Hyun Seung Choi, Kyubo Kim, and Jae Young Choi, Dietary vitamin intake correlates with hearing thresholds in the older population: the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, June 2014 vol. 99 no. 6 1407-1413