By Barry Keate
Barry Keate, has lived with tinnitus over 40 years and has published 150+ research articles on numerous aspects of tinnitus. He is an expert on the condition and a well-known advocate for those with tinnitus.
(freepik/Freepik)
While there is still no known cure for tinnitus, there are many ways to help combat the condition’s annoying and sometimes painful symptoms. While it may not seem obvious, the foods you eat may relieve or reduce the ringing, buzzing, or humming in your ears. Many micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals help aid the body in essential functions, but you may not be focusing on them when you are in the grocery store.
What vitamin helps tinnitus? While B12 is a great vitamin for those with tinnitus, folic acid is important too. Also known as vitamin B9 or folate, it is an essential micronutrient that helps the body produce new cells and increase circulation. Improved circulation may help relieve tinnitus symptoms as more blood flow reaches the inner ear, and new cell growth in the area may repair damaged cells that harm hearing. Folic acid is connected to ear health, and supplementation has been shown to slow the decline of age-related hearing loss.
An essential nutrient regardless of hearing health, it is vital to ensure that you are getting adequate amounts of folic acid in your diet. The average adult should consume 400 micrograms of the nutrient daily for healthy bodily functions. Thankfully, vitamin B9 is readily available in many foods at your local grocery store, and it isn’t too difficult to incorporate into your meals. Focusing on folate intake may improve symptoms for those struggling with tinnitus’s frustrating effects.
1. Eggs
A common way to start the day is by eating eggs, an easy-to-prepare folic acid source. A readily available item, one large egg can account for around 6% of your daily value of B9. While that may not seem like a lot, every little bit counts. And if you start your day with a few eggs, you can knock out a good bit of your daily intake before you even head to work.
Also, eggs are a reliable source of another B vitamin, B12, linked to hearing health. If you are looking for more ways to incorporate this vitamin into your diet, you can find a list of foods rich in the nutrient here. The more vitamins essential to hearing ear health you can include in your diet, the more likely you are to find relief from your tinnitus symptoms.
2. Citrus
Another common way to start the day is with an orange, grapefruit, or cup of juice. Your average orange, as well as other citrus fruits, can help in your effort to increase your folic acid intake. A large orange can add 14% of the daily value of folate to your count. Starting the day with eggs and an orange can significantly impact your consumption of vitamin B9 and give you a bright morning meal.
3. Beets
A hit-or-miss food for many picky eaters, beets are a great source of various essential vitamins, including folic acid. A cup of raw beets can contribute over a quarter of your daily intake of vitamin B9, at around 37%. The colorful vegetable may not be a regular entry on your shopping list, but a delicious beet salad and its health benefits may be enough to change your mind.
4. Nuts
Nuts and seeds are perfect if you are looking for an easy, on-the-go snack that supports your folic acid goals. A cup of flax seeds offers nearly over a quarter of your recommended daily value of folic acid, at 146 micrograms. A cup of chopped walnuts offers a similar amount, at 115 micrograms.
5. Beans and Peas
Found in almost every grocery store, foods like beans, lentils, and peas offer a great deal of folic acid to your diet. Relatively inexpensive, a cup of cooked kidney beans packs in around a third, or 33%, of the recommended daily intake of vitamin B9. These foods are easy to find and prepare and are the basis of some incredible recipes and the possible basis of your tinnitus relief.
6. Bananas
A well-loved fruit, bananas offer an easy way to contribute a bit of folic acid to your diet without thinking about it. While they may not hit home runs in the daily value department, they help inch you closer to your intake goals. The average medium banana found at your local grocery store contains in the ballpark of 6% of your daily folate. A great snack option in an already folic acid-rich diet, bananas can help you get all of your vitamin B9 in your diet without changing too much.
7. Papaya
Another fun fruit you can easily pair with a banana in a yummy smoothie is papayas, which offer a fresh way to get your folate in. A cup of fresh papaya packs 13% of your necessary daily vitamin B9 and is a perfect summer treat.
8. Avocado
In case you need another excuse to pay extra for guacamole next time you are out, avocado is a great source of vitamin B9. Just half an avocado can provide nearly a quarter of the folate you need in a day, at 21%. So, order extra guacamole or another piece of avocado toast; your ears may thank you.
9. Peanut Butter
While commonly grouped with nuts, peanuts are classified by the USDA as a legume. The common and well-loved peanut is a great source of folic acid. Just under a cup of creamy peanut butter, about 100 grams, offers 18% of the recommended B9 you need in your day.
If you are looking for an easier way to consume more folic acid or increase your intake beyond what your daily diet offers, a supplement that includes methylfolate may be a good choice, as it contains a highly bioavailable form of folate. When choosing among the supplements for tinnitus, finding one that contains vitamins for ringing ears, such as folic acid or vitamin B12, may help increase your chances of relieving your symptoms.
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