A new research study has suggested these two surprising dietary elements could be linked to the condition, which can be managed, but not cured.
Certain elements of our diet have been found to be connected to one incurable condition in the results of a new study.
It was found that the increased consumption of fruit, dietary fibre, dairy products and caffeine could be linked with a reduced risk of tinnitus, which causes ringing in the ears.
However, the researchers, whose study was published in the open access journal BMJ Open, stressed that their findings can’t establish a direct (causal) relationship between the dietary elements and the condition, and should be interpreted with care because of the uncertain quality of the evidence.
But they also shared that the potential link could be explained by protective effects of diet on blood vessels and nerves, as well as the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of fruit, fibre, dairy and caffeine.
Tinnitus is an incurable condition that is identified by the perception of sounds like ringing, buzzing or clicking in the ears when there’s no external source to cause such noise.
Data suggests this condition affects around 14 per cent of adults worldwide and it is associated with depression, anxiety, stress, and in severe cases, suicide.
Although there is no cure, treatments such as counselling, behavioural therapy, medications, and hearing aids can help to reduce the symptoms of tinnitus.
It was found by the study that diet can also have a significant impact on tinnitus, and it was already thought that eating high-quality nutrients can have a positive effect on hearing by improving blood flow to the inner ear and reducing oxidative damage and inflammation.
However, previous research into the subject shows conflicting results, and it’s still uncertain which specific foods are able to worsen or relieve symptoms of tinnitus.
The researchers of the new study sleuthed through research databases, looking for studies linking tinnitus and diet in adults that were published up to May 2024.
They discovered eight observational studies involving 301,533 people that assessed 15 dietary factors, using validated questionnaires to include in their analysis.
The dietary factors studied included carbohydrates, caffeine, eggs, fruits, fibres, fat, meat, protein, sugar, fish, vegetables and dairy.
This new study’s combined findings revealed that the increased consumption of fruit, dietary fibre, dairy products and caffeine was associated with reduced cases of tinnitus.
And the reduced tinnitus risk varied for each dietry component- there was a 35 per cent reduction for fruit intake, 9 per cent for dietary fibre, 17 per cent for dairy products, and 10 per cent for caffeine intake.
The other dietary factors studied were not found to be associated with tinnitus, and results were consistent after further analyses. However, the authors noted that the association between caffeine intake and tinnitus remains contentious.
The scientists acknowledged that due to the observational design of studies they analysed in their research, a direct link cannot be fully established without further investigation.
But the researchers suggest that “the primary underlying mechanisms may involve the protective effects of these diets on blood vessels and nerves, as well as their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties” and say further large-scale studies are needed “to complement and verify the relationship between dietary intake and tinnitus.”
