A diet rich in fruit, fibre, dairy products and caffeine could reduce the risk of the harmful ringing in the ears condition, tinnitus, by up to a third, a study suggests.
Tinnitus refers to noises that do not come from an external source and includes ringing in the ears or noises, crackling, or thunder.
The noises can be in one or both ears, or in the person's head, and can come and go.
This condition affects nearly one in 10 Americans and one in 7 Britons, and has been linked to worry, depression, anxiety and, in severe cases, suicide.
Now, a new study by researchers in China suggests that diet may play a role in reducing risk.
By reviewing studies of over 300,000 people, the team found that caffeine, fruit, fiber and dairy products reduced the risk of tinnitus by up to 35 percent.
The team suggested that these foods may improve blood vessel function and increase insulin sensitivity, increasing blood flow and reducing inflammation in the ear.
No associations were found between tinnitus and the other dietary factors studied.
The team cautioned that the results are observational, so a direct cause cannot be determined.
The review, published in the journal BMJ, looked at eight observational studies that included 301,533 people and assessed 15 dietary factors using questionnaires.
The results took into account a range of foods, including carbohydrates, caffeine, eggs, fruit, fibre, fats, meat, protein, sugar, fish, vegetables and dairy products.
The combined results suggested that caffeine, fruit, fiber, and dairy products “were negatively associated with the incidence of tinnitus,” meaning they were linked to a lower risk, GazetaExpress reports the study.
These reductions were 35 percent for fruit intake, 9 percent for fiber, 17 percent for dairy products, and 10 percent for caffeine intake.
However, the team from Chengdu University Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine said the findings on caffeine are controversial.
"Our results indicate that caffeine has a positive effect on the incidence of tinnitus. Some suggest that caffeine may effectively reduce the incidence of tinnitus, perhaps due to its anxiety-reducing effects," they write.
"On the other hand, some scientists argue that individuals with tinnitus often experience insomnia, and caffeine consumption may exacerbate this, thereby worsening tinnitus."
The team suggested that these foods may protect against tinnitus due to the “protective effects of these diets on blood vessels and nerves, as well as their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.”
Calling for further studies, they said: “It is important to interpret our results with caution due to the overall low quality of the available evidence.”
Ralph Holme, director of research at the Royal National Institute for the Deaf in the UK, said: "Tinnitus affects one in seven adults and can be extremely distressing for some people."
"While we always welcome any new research to understand more about tinnitus, these results should be treated with caution, as they tell us nothing about the cause, so these factors could simply be coincidental," he said.
"However, any new knowledge is always valuable and could lead to more research in this area, helping us better understand tinnitus in the future." /Express newspaper/
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