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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutritional Epidemiology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1528771
Protective effects of dietary nutrients on hearing loss: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Provisionally accepted- 1Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
- 2Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, München, Bavaria, Germany
- 3Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
- 4Department of Orthopedics, Jiang’an County Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital,, Yibin, Sichuan,, China
- 5Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medcine, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
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Background: Hearing loss ranks as the third most prevalent disability globally, significantly impacting individuals and society, and imposing a substantial healthcare burden. The World Health Organization reports that over 1.5 billion people worldwide experience hearing loss, with one-third of these cases attributed to preventable factors. Recently, the influence of diet and nutrition on auditory health has garnered increasing attention.Objective: This study systematically reviews and meta-analyzes the protective effects of dietary nutrients on hearing, examining specific nutrients' impact on hearing loss and their potential biological mechanisms.Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library was conducted for relevant studies up to August 2024. Following PRISMA guidelines, the systematic review was registered in PROSPERO. Included were observational studies assessing the relationship between dietary intake and hearing loss. Results: Thirty-three studies met inclusion criteria: 21 cross-sectional, 10 cohort, and 2 case-control studies. Meta-analysis revealed significant inverse associations between the intake of vitamin B2, βcarotene, carotenoids, β-cryptoxanthin, fat, protein, fiber, and fish, and the risk of hearing loss.Conclusion: Certain dietary nutrients may protect hearing health. Increasing intake of antioxidants, fiber, protein, and fish rich in unsaturated fatty acids may help preserve auditory function.
Keywords: Hearing Loss, Dietary nutrients, Systematic review, Meta-analysis, Antioxidants
Received: 15 Nov 2024; Accepted: 10 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wang, Tang, Xiong, Zhang, Guo, Hanyu, Xiong and Xie. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Hui Xie, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medcine, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.