Caffeinf, fruit, and dairy may help reduce tinnitus risk.
- About 740 million people globally experience tinnitus.
- While there is no cure for tinnitus, past studies show there are
ways a person can reduce their risk of developing the condition, including
eating a healthy diet.
- A new study reports that increasing fruit, fiber, dairy products,
and caffeine in your diet may help reduce your tinnitus risk.
About 740 million peopleTrusted Source around
the world experience tinnitus —
a chronic hearing condition where a person constantly hears bothersome sounds
in one or both ears.
Colloquially, tinnitus is often referred to as a “ringing in
the ears.”
There are a number of underlying causes for tinnitus,
including hearing loss, ear
infections, thyroid
problems, and a condition of the inner ear called Meniere’s disease.
There is currently no cure for tinnitus. Past studies suggest
there are ways a person can reduce their risk of developing tinnitus,
including protecting
your hearing from loud noise, such as music at concerts or
when using power tools, as well as stress
management, getting
enough sleep, and maintaining healthy blood
pressure and cholesterol
levels.
Previous research has also examined the role that following a
healthy diet plays in tinnitus risk. For example, a study published in February
2020 found that a higher intake of vitamin B12 and
a high-protein
diet helped reduce tinnitus risk.
And a study published in December 2024 found that
consuming tuna fish,
light-meat fish, and shellfishTrusted Source was linked
to a lower risk of developing persistent tinnitus in women.
Now a new study recently published in the journal BMJ Open reports
that increasing levels of fruit, fiber, dairy products,
and caffeine in
the diet may help reduce tinnitus risk.
Consuming fruit, dietary fiber, dairy helps reduce tinnitus risk
For this study, researchers analyzed medical data from eight
studies that examined tinnitus and diet in adults ages 18 years or older for a
total of more than 301,000 study participants.
Within these studies, scientists looked at 15 specific
dietary factors:
- caffeine
- carbohydrates
- dairy
- eggs
- fat
- fiber
- fish
- fruits
- margarine
- meat
- protein
- sugar
- varied diets
- vegetables
- water.
At the study’s conclusion, researchers found that
participants who consumed fruit, dietary fiber, dairy products, and caffeine
had the lowest risk of developing tinnitus.
Fruit reduced the risk by 35%, dairy products by 17%, caffeine
by 10%, and dietary fiber by 8%.
The researchers reported they did not find any associations
between the remaining 11 dietary factors and tinnitus risk.
Reinforcing how lifestyle factors impact tinnitus risk
MNT had the opportunity to speak with Rachel Artsma, AuD, CCC-A, senior audiologist at Hear.com,
about this study, in which she was not involved.
“I found the study
quite intriguing, as it reinforces the idea that lifestyle factors may play a
role in tinnitus risk,” Artsma commented. “Given how challenging tinnitus can
be for patients, it’s encouraging to see evidence suggesting that certain
dietary habits — such as consuming more fruit, fiber, dairy, and even caffeine
— could potentially lower its incidence.”
“Tinnitus is a condition that significantly impacts quality
of life, often leading to anxiety,
depression, and sleep
disturbances,” she continued.
“While treatments like hearing aids and
sound therapy can help manage symptoms, prevention is always preferable. If we
can identify modifiable risk factors such as diet, then I believe it gives
patients more control over their health. Plus, incorporating these findings
into broader tinnitus management strategies could enhance patient outcomes in a
way that goes beyond traditional interventions,” the expert suggested.
Bringing awareness to importance of leading a healthy lifestyle
Virginia Toth, AuD, CCC-A, manager of audiology for Tinnitus
and Balance Program at Hackensack Meridian JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute
in New Jersey, similarly not involved in the recent study, told MNT that
while any research that provides information on how to reduce the risk of
developing tinnitus is always positive, readers do need to be cautious with
interpreting this research.
“Although this research identified a potential link between
diet and tinnitus, further research [is needed] to determine if this diet leads
to healthier individuals with the secondary benefit of less damage to the
auditory system resulting in less hearing loss/tinnitus,” Toth explained.
“Tinnitus can be very debilitating to many people who suffer
from it, impacting their mental health, their relationships and their work,”
she continued. “Although not everyone’s tinnitus is debilitating. Some people
who develop tinnitus go about their daily life with little to no impact on
their lives.”
“Additional
research heightens awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle by
minimizing conditions that have the potential to impact your life,” Toth added.
“These lifestyle changes can also reduce your risk of developing hearing loss, which is generally a
precursor to tinnitus.”
Need for further research
MNT also spoke with Rebecca Lewis, AuD, audiologist and audiology director of the
Adult & Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program at Pacific Neuroscience
Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, not
involved in the study, who commented that she did not find it surprising that a
healthy diet could potentially help with tinnitus, as it does with most health
conditions.
“It would be nice to see clinical trials to assess the impact
of dietary patterns on tinnitus severity to help clarify whether modifying diet
could slow or halt tinnitus progression,” Lewis said. “Additionally,
longitudinal studies tracking dietary patterns and tinnitus symptoms over time
to establish stronger causal relationships.”
She continued by noting that:
“Caffeine-specific research that
differentiates between acute and chronic tinnitus and across populations with
preexisting hearing loss [versus] those without hearing loss. It would also be
interesting to learn more about objective measures to assess tinnitus — imaging
studies and auditory system tests — to assess diet related changes.”
“In medicine we are moving toward personalized approaches to
treatment and prevention,” Lewis added. “Learning more about tinnitus based on
the individual’s genetics, pre-existing conditions, and diet could have a great
impact on how we manage tinnitus and prevent it.”
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