Age related hearing loss has been associated with low vitamin B12 and folic acid. In a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, they found that the lower the level of B12 and folic acid in the 55 women examined, the worse their hearing was.
Sometimes it’s not sufficient to just take a B12 and folic acid supplement. Getting your levels in the blood tested as well as looking at how well you absorb these vitamins are very important. As we age, the amount of stomach acid produced diminishes significantly. If you don’t make enough stomach acid, you won’t be able to digest food and supplements properly. Therefore, it’s possible that the supplements you are taking are not being absorbed by the body adequately. In order to avoid wasting money like that, you should get your digestion assessed.
One way to see if you have low stomach acid is to take a supplement called betaine hydrochloride. You would take 1 capsule before every meal and increase the number of capsules until you feel a burn. Don’t take more than 8 capsules. If you won’t feel a burn, that means you have very low stomach acid. If you feel a burn, then start diminishing the number of capsules by one before every meal until you aren’t taking any. This will stimulate your body to make its own stomach acid. Some people require a constant supplementation with betaine hydrochloride. By optimizing your stomach acid, you will absorb vitamins better and reverse any deficiencies. Talk to your physician before trying this as it may be contraindicated with certain medications.
Sometimes even correcting low stomach acid is not sufficient to absorb vitamin B12 and folic acid. In this case it’s best to take these nutrients by injection.
Zinc has also been linked to hearing, especially ringing in the ears. Correcting a zinc deficiency can improve this condition. Lastly, vitamin D deficiency is linked to hearing loss. It’s important to get your vitamin D levels tested even if it’s not covered by OHIP. This will allow your naturopathic doctor to tell you what dosage to take.