Two recent studies in populations in the Netherlands and Australia examining the link between fish or seafood omega-3 fatty acid consumption and hearing loss in older adults observed significantly less hearing loss in older adults with high intakes of fish. In one study, those with hearing loss who ate fish once to twice a week experienced about half the rate of deterioration in their hearing over five years compared with those who ate fish less than once a week.
In the Dutch study, researchers measured the participants’ hearing at low and high frequencies and estimated their fish consumption from a dietary questionnaire. Three years later, they measured the hearing status of the participants to see whether any changes were related to their omega-3 intakes. They found that hearing losses were greatest in those with the lowest consumption of seafood omega-3s although the difference between those the highest and lowest omega-3 groups was small. Hearing loss occurred mainly in the low frequency range and was greater in older (age 60 to 70) than younger (age 50 to 60) participants.
In the Australian study, participants had their hearing evaluated at the beginning of the study and after five years. Their fish and seafood omega-3 intakes were assessed at enrollment in the study. In contrast to the Dutch study, participants with the highest baseline omega-3 consumption from all sources, including seafood and plants, were about 10 percent less likely to have hearing loss compared with those in the lowest intake category. This relationship was not seen for seafood omega-3s alone.
After five years neither omega-3 nor omega-6 was related to the likelihood of developing hearing loss. However, eating fish frequently was associated with a 42-percent lower chance of developing hearing loss over the study period.
The researchers also observed progressive hearing loss was about half as much in those who ate fish once to twice a week compared with those who ate fish less than once a week. Eating fish twice a week or more had no additional effect on the rate of progression. Source: Fats of Life Newsletter
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