Prevent and stop hearing loss….Today's post:  Tuesday, 3-27-2018

Most of us are exposed quite regularly to noise and music and conversation that is quite loud.

Over time or even quite quickly in some cases, this can result in hearing loss which can become permanent.

This can cause all kinds of problems if it happens to you.

It can cause problems at work by reducing your ability to network in noisy locations or hear accurately on the phone.

It can cause problems socially when you miss out on conversations from people just a couple of seats from you.

Worse, it can cause trouble in your relationships when you miss or miss-hear things said to you even when you are paying attention.

When it gets bad, it can even cause depression and even physical nerve degeneration in your brain and contribute to Alzheimer’s disease progression or even help cause it!

Most people commute to work now.  And, even inside your car, the level of noise you are subjected to each work day can be higher than you may realize.

You may be one of the many people now who talk on your phone or listen to music with an ear bud in your ear canal.  Turning it up to hear over the racket around you can itself damage your hearing.

About 6 months ago I wrote an email about the very large number of effective things you can do to prevent this kind of hearing damage and even reverse it often.  The husband of a very nice older woman I know was becoming hard to live with due to worsening hearing loss.

So I wrote that post for her and for people in her situation.

Today, as he often does, Dr Al Sears re-sent his email he’d sent before that the US Military found two things in particular that they have used to protect the hearing of their people exposed to gunshots and explosions and other loud noises.

Because his email was my original inspiration for my post 6 months ago and is quite well done, I start today’s post with its main points:

“Al Sears, MD                                                March 27, 2018

11905 Southern Blvd.

Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411

"The U.S. military is worried about the hearing loss of its soldiers…

Every day during basic training, our men and women in uniform fire hundreds of rounds of ammunition per minute. The noise from their M-16 assault rifles is deafening.

More than half of all U.S. soldiers experience moderate to severe damage to their ears by the time they leave the service.

In fact, hearing loss is the No. 1 disability our soldiers face.

So researchers at the Marine Corps Base at Camp Pendleton recruited 1,000 marines going through rifle training. All were given a standard hearing test.

Then researchers gave 566 marines a powerful amino acid three times a day for a month. The other marines took a placebo.

A second hearing test after the study’s conclusion found that 70% of the soldiers who took the amino acid had dramatically less hearing loss.1

The powerful secret weapon the soldiers were given was an amino acid called N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC).  The researchers found that NAC protected the tiny ear hairs in the soldiers’ ears. They had less damage and also less ringing in their ears.

NAC is so effective our military now uses it to protect soldiers from blast noise, gunfire and explosions.2

You may not be subjected to the same level of noise these marines faced during their rifle training.

But every day you are bombarded with ear-splitting sounds from our modern world. Things like roaring traffic, screeching trains, leaf blowers, lawn mowers and high-speed blenders.  Our ears weren’t designed to deal with these loud noises day in and day out. And it takes a toll on the delicate inner workings of your ears.

You see, your inner ear contains over 15,000 tiny hair cells. They turn sound waves into electrical signals that go to your brain. That’s how you hear. But loud noises damage these sensitive cells.

By middle-age you can be left with serious hearing loss. It interferes with enjoying your favorite TV show or having a conversation with your loved ones. You can have chronic whistling, hissing or ringing in your ears.

Most doctors will tell you there’s nothing you can do except get some high-powered hearing aids.

But supplementing with NAC not only prevents hearing loss…

It helps reverse it.

In a recent study, Yale researchers found that NAC boosts your production of a powerful antioxidant called glutathione. And that helps repair the inner ear damage done by loud noises.3

NAC is available as a supplement in most health food stores. 

I recommend taking 250 mg per day. 

But if you know you’re going to a loud concert or sporting event, take 1,200 mg 12 hours before. 

If the noise is a surprise, take 1,200 mg as soon as possible afterward. Then take 900 mg to 1,200 mg three times a day, with meals, for the next 14 days."

"NAC is just one nutrient that protects your hearing. I use many others with my patients here at the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine. 

Here are three that can help protect your ears and even reverse hearing loss.

1. Luteolin. Luteolin is a powerful antioxidant and one of the few that can cross the blood-brain barrier. It protects the nerve cells in your ears from oxidative damage. It’s also a natural anti-inflammatory that can repair free radical damage that harms the hair cells in your ears.

The best way to get luteolin is through your diet. Aim to get at least one serving at each meal. Here are my top picks for foods and herbs rich in luteolin:"

[Of Dr Sears picks I think well of these:

[Dried herbs are easier to use AND much more concentrated sources:

Dried oregano [as a spice}

Parsley [as dried parsley spice]

Basil [as a dried spice]

Sage [as a dried spice]

Broccoli [Use as florets raw or diced and lightly steamed with exra virgin olive oil -- raw broccoli will give you some but gives you very strong cancer protection.  The lightly steamed with extra virgin olive oil makes the luteolin and other carotenoids in broccoli more bioavailable!]

[Avocado is superb for this as it has luteolin and other carotenoids and the health OK monosaturated fat to make them bioavailable!)

"You can also supplement. For sharper hearing I recommend taking 25 mg per day."

[Dr David Perlmutter and Dr Dale Bredesen recommend 500 mg of NAC from once to three times a day.  I take it twice a day.  Jarrow makes a 500 mg capsule of NAC that I take.]

"2. Niacin. Your inner ear, like your brain, has no energy reserves. It depends on oxygen and glucose from the blood supply. When blood flow slows, your inner ear is starved of energy.

Niacin or vitamin B3 is a natural circulation booster. It energizes healthy cells of all kinds. 

It also fights inflammation and improves hearing in people with sudden hearing loss. And it’s been shown to reduce ringing in the ears."

You can boost your niacin levels with food. The best sources are grass-fed beef and organ meats, pastured eggs, chicken and turkey, and wild-caught salmon and tuna. Good vegetarian sources include... beets, leafy greens, nuts... and beans."

You can also supplement. I recommend starting at a small dose of 250 mg per day because too much niacin can lead to “flushing.” Increase the amount gradually every month until you get up to 750 mg or 1,000 mg. You can also split your dose into twice a day to help reduce the flush.

[I take 100 mg a day of niacinamide in Solgar's B Complex with C Stress formula.  This form is less of a circulation promoter but it does some and causes no flush.  I also take Whole Foods 300 mg niacin tablets twice a day with food.  

And I take two "No Flush" niacin as inositol hexaniacinate 300 mg twice a day that I also get at Whole Foods. This compound contains about 250 mg of niacin a capsule that releases this niacin as your body digests it with zero flush!  

So between the three sources I get 1200 mg of niacin with almost no flush or only rarely so.]

3. Magnesium. This mineral boosts blood flow to the tiny vessels in the auditory canal. 

And it supports the health of inner ear hair cells. In one study, 320 Army recruits were exposed to high decibel gunfire during their two weeks of basic training. Those taking magnesium had 50% less hearing damage than a placebo group.4

Sadly, over 70% of people are deficient in magnesium.5 

Leafy greens like kale, spinach, and Swiss chard are good food sources. So are quinoa, lentils, almonds, sesame seeds and cacao.

I recommend getting between 600 mg and 1,000 mg a day as a supplement. 

Avoid magnesium oxide or glutamate. The glycine, citrate, malate, and chloride forms are better choices. Take it with vitamin B6 to increase the amount of magnesium accumulating in your cells."

[I take 4 capsules a day of Solaray 200 mg chelated magnesium.   And eat I a tablespoon of slivered almonds and some cooked lentils first thing each morning for good for you fats and desirable fiber and some protein.]

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

Al Sears, MD, CNS”

My post 6 months ago was inspired by this Dr Sears email.

But it adds more ways to boost circulation and grow new nerves and replace damaged ones.

It has a special hearing aid that may help also though I’m not sure how available it is yet.

Check out that post for more information if you want:

“Ways to REVERSE hearing loss!…Today's post:  Wednesday, 9-13-2017

See iehealth.blogspot.com/2017/09/ about two thirds of the way through that file at

https://iehealth.blogspot.com for September, 2017.

*Most people are not aware of it.  But some cases of hearing loss can be fixed –totally reversed! 

Usually when reversal is not achievable, considerable improvement and better health

  -- IS achievable.

Plus if there is at least some hearing or better hearing after taking these steps, there is a new way to get back normal hearing even in loud locations with a new high tech hearing aid!....”

After this introduction that post has some of the same information and several other methods also!