Hearing loss in women: Omega 3 reduces risk of hearing loss by 20%

A U.S. study suggests the effectiveness of fish-derived Omega 3s in preventing hearing loss in women. Supporting evidence is abundant and extends the possibility of reducing hearing loss risk also in men.

In women, consuming two or more servings per week of any type of fish was associated with a 20% reduction in the risk of hearing loss. Not only that, a higher intake of Omega 3, the anti-inflammatory fats abundant in fish, is inversely associated with the risk of hearing loss. This is the result of a study conducted at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston (USA) and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Acquired hearing loss: a common problem

Progressive hearing loss is very common among adults and is a chronic and often disabling health condition. Although acquired hearing loss is often considered an inevitable aspect of aging, identifying various potentially modifiable risk factors could provide new insights into preventing or delaying its onset.

Some scientific evidence suggests that a higher intake of fish rich in Omega-3 may be associated with a lower risk of hearing loss. However, at the time of this study, information on this topic was still scarce. 

Two servings of fish per week reduce the risk of deafness

The authors of the analysis published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition examined the association between the risk of hearing loss and total fish consumption, different seafood types (tuna, white fish, oily fish, shellfish), and long-chain Omega-3 fatty acid intake in 65,215 American nurses involved between 1991 and 2009 in the Nurses' Health Study II. Necessary information was obtained through specific questionnaires.

By the end of data collection, 11,606 cases of hearing loss were identified. Compared to women who rarely consumed fish, those who ate two or more servings of fish per week showed a 20% reduced risk of hearing loss, regardless of the type of fish chosen. Similarly, higher intakes of Omega 3 were inversely associated with the risk of hearing loss. 

Supporting studies

Prior to this, another study had linked fish and Omega 3 consumption to reduced risk of age-related hearing loss: a 2010 investigation also published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition by Bamini Gopinath and colleagues at the University of Sydney (Australia).

Gopinath and colleagues found an inverse association between the intake of long-chain Omega 3s (such as eicosapentaenoic acid – EPA – and docosahexaenoic acid – DHA – from mackerel and anchovies) and the incidence of hearing loss. Specifically, their analysis showed that participants who ate at least 2 servings of fish per week had a 42% lower risk of age-related hearing loss compared to those who ate less than one serving per week. 

Gopinath and colleagues also found an association between consuming at least 1 but less than 2 servings of fish per week and a reduced risk of hearing loss progression. Another study, published by Lauren Dillard et al. in the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, associated hearing loss with higher intake of trans fats and, for women, saturated fats.

Possible protective mechanisms

The protective mechanism underlying the associations found in these studies is probably mediated by the positive effects that Omega-3s exert on the blood microcirculation within the cochlea, a component of the inner ear, and on the local supply of nutrients.

Moreover, a series of animal model experiments suggest that the anti-inflammatory action of Omega 3 may come into play. In mice, aging is associated with increased inflammatory molecules, which can be avoided with Omega 3 supplementation, and supplementation is linked to improvements in parameters used to assess hearing.

Can hearing loss be limited by diet?

Available data support the hypothesis that diet can influence the risk of acquired hearing loss, which generally manifests with aging. In particular, a higher intake of Omega-3 fatty acids and greater fish consumption could reduce the risk of hearing loss. 

Further studies will confirm the benefits of Omega 3 for hearing. Currently, the idea of preventing hearing loss through a dietary approach based on increased Omega 3 intake appears to be a practical and innovative strategy.

References:

Curhan SG, Eavey RD, Wang M, Rimm EB, Curhan GC. Fish and fatty acid consumption and the risk of hearing loss in women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014 Nov;100(5):1371-7. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.114.091819

Dillard LK, Nelson-Bakkum E, Schultz A, Merten N, Malecki K. Associations of Dietary Intake With Self-Reported Hearing Loss: Findings From the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin. J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2023 Jul 12;66(7):2478-2489. doi: 10.1044/2023_JSLHR-22-00473

Fiorini AC, Costa OA Filho, Scorza FA. Can you hear me now? The quest for better guidance on omega-3 fatty acid consumption to combat hearing loss. Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2016 Aug;71(8):420-2. doi: 10.6061/clinics/2016(08)01

Gopinath B, Flood VM, Rochtchina E, McMahon CM, Mitchell P. Consumption of omega-3 fatty acids and fish and risk of age-related hearing loss. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Aug;92(2):416-21. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2010.29370

Martínez-Vega R, Partearroyo T, Vallecillo N, Varela-Moreiras G, Pajares MA, Varela-Nieto I. Long-term omega-3 fatty acid supplementation prevents expression changes in cochlear homocysteine metabolism and ameliorates progressive hearing loss in C57BL/6J mice. J Nutr Biochem. 2015 Dec;26(12):1424-33. doi: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2015.07.011