According To Research, Omega 3 Fat Acid Consumption Potentially Prevents Hearing Disorders

Illustration of preventing hearing loss according to research (Freepic/jcomp)

YOGYAKARTA Hearing ability will decrease with age. According to research reports, about 50 percent of people aged 75 years and over in the United States experience severe easing disorders. Disorders related to this age are unavoidable. However, researchers from Buelph University and Tufts University have found positive potential from omega 3 fatty acids related to hearing ability.

The study reported that their middle-aged and older adult respondents with higher levels of omega 3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) likely reported the impact of ageing related to hearing loss. Research published in Nutrition in 2023 reported by Medical News Today, Sunday, December 10, departs from the finding in animals that the development of hearing of offspring is influenced by the intake of omega 3 mothers during pregnancy.

Senior scientist Michael I. McBurney of the Institute of Fat Acid Research and assistant professor at the Department of Health & Human Nutrition, Guelph University and the School of Science and Policy, University of Tufts, said that consumption of fish and omega 3 is higher inversely proportional to age-related hearing loss. In this study, McBurney and his team used the DHA auditory and level status in the blood of more than 100,000 people aged 40-69 years.

Based on the analysis, the researchers found participants with the highest level of cold blood DHAs to have a 16 percent smaller chance of answering Yes in the question Are you having trouble hearing?. Scientists found that middle-aged and older adults with higher DHA levels had a smaller 8-20% chance of reporting age-related hearing problems compared to those with lower DHA levels. This study hypothesized that there would be an inverse link between plasma omega-3 concentration and hearing impairment tailored to age and gender.

It is important to know that fatty acids are a type of fat that the body needs for various functions and make them essential fats. There are three types of omega 3 fatty acids, another alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Omega 3 fatty acids, the body needs to build and keep cell membranes healthy, start the process of making hormones responsible for blood clots and keep arterial walls functioning, as well as help in regulating genetic functions. Research also found that omega 3 helps certain diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune disease, depression, and even some types of cancer.

Omega 3 fatty acids cannot be produced by the body alone. So consuming foods rich in content is needed. These foods include salmon, macerile, anchovy, tuna, sardines, walnuts, chia seeds, seaweed, and nuts.

Regarding the potential consumption of omega 3 fatty acids to prevent hearing loss, more specific continuous research is still needed. Because the above research has only explored cases of hearing loss in general. So for specific cases and how omega 3 fatty acids prevent hearing loss related to age cannot be explained explicitly.