On the surface, there seems to be no link between what one eats and their hearing ability. While lost hearing cannot be restored through food alone, certain items, such as legumes, bananas, and broccoli, benefit people’s ears to an extent. Alternatively, some foods are just plain “bad” for the hearing parts of the body. This list predictably includes high-fat meals and processed foods. Some of the foods to avoid for people with hearing difficulties are:

Salted nuts
Foods with high sodium content cause fluid retention in the ears. It can accelerate disorders such as Meniere’s Disease, an inner-ear condition in which people experience vertigo, hearing loss, and frequent spells of dizziness. To lower the possibility of developing this disease, one must avoid foods with MSG (monosodium glutamate) as it triggers migraine.

Apart from sodium, salty foods also tend to worsen the sound in one’s ears, especially in people with food allergies.

Unfortunately, salted nuts contain sodium in large amounts. Therefore, people with existing hearing issues must stay away from this food.

Coffee
According to certain research studies, regular coffee intake can bring about constriction in the blood vessels in and around the ears. This results in reduced blood supply to a frequent coffee consumer’s inner ear.

Like most types of food, one must not have excessive amounts of coffee.

Cream cheese
Cream cheese, and many dairy products in general, are known to increase mucus production in the body. Mucus can cause a blocked nose and cold, two conditions that negatively affect a person’s hearing. So, people with existing hearing problems are advised to stay away from the cream cheese.

Pudding
Refined sugars and artificial sweeteners are possibly the worst offenders when it comes to foods that aggravate hearing disorders and difficulties. When blood sugar levels rise in the body, the symptoms of tinnitus worsen in individuals. Tinnitus is a condition in which people experience a persistent and uncomfortable ringing sound in their ears.

Foods with the highest amount of artificial sweeteners are pudding, frozen desserts, yogurt, candies, baked goods, chewing gum, breakfast cereals, and candies.

White bread
Refined carbohydrates contain plenty of additives and preservatives that make them “bad foods” with regard to inflammation in the body. One of the many triggers of hearing disorders like tinnitus is inflammation.

While these foods need to be avoided for people with hearing difficulties, one is always advised to consult a healthcare professional before making drastic changes to their daily meals.