A study that identified 3,559 cases of men with hearing loss and subsequently analyzed nutritional data, concluded that increased intake of folate and folic acid in people over 60 could reduce the risk of hearing loss by 20%, although it did not find benefits with people with high intake of vitamins C and E, or beta carotene.
This points to the importance of folate consumption, both through dietary sources and food supplements, as a preventive tool for hearing loss.
In previous studies, this vitamin had already been linked to the prevention of hearing loss, as already in 2007, a Wageningen University study concluded that folic acid supplements delayed hearing loss associated with age in people between 50 and 70 years.
Folate is found in foods such as green leafy vegetables, chickpeas, lentils and its deficiency during pregnancy was previously linked to an increased risk of neural tube defects (especially of spina bifida) in children.
Reference: “Vitamin Intake and Risk of Hearing Loss in Men” American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting
