Are Chocolate and Wine Beneficial to Hearing?

Valentine’s Day is gone, but chocolates and wine may still be around your house. You may feel guilty about actively indulging in these pleasures, but understand that they reap some health benefits. They may be good for your hearing!

The sweet sound of hearing well.

Dark chocolate, in particular, provides high levels of zinc and several antioxidants, which provide boosts to you immune-system and fight off infection. Ear infections can result in hearing loss, but nutrients in dark chocolate may help reduce risk. Consumption of dark chocolate containing a 70 percent cocoa content yields the best results.

​Your heart benefits strongly with dark cocoa ingredients in the body by lowering blood pressure and improving blood flow. According to one study, eating chocolate five or more times a week lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease by 57 percent. Improving your cardiovascular system is always a plus, especially since it can also be good for hearing.

Celebrate your ears with wine.

Wine is also good for hearing. A single glass of wine per day can create a healthy lifestyle, overall, which includes your hearing health. Red wine, like chocolate, contains antioxidants. Antioxidants serve to improve cardiovascular health, which helps to maintain hearing quality.

However, wine drinking may do more to directly to prevent hearing loss. Resveratrol, an ingredient found in grape skins, protects against cognitive decline and noise-induced hearing loss. A study done in 2013 by the Henry Ford Hospital revealed that resveratrol given to rats, which were exposed to loud noises, not only experienced a quicker recovery but also experienced improved hearing and cognitive gain. Compared to rats not given the substance, rats with resveratrol faired better.

Don’t overdo it.

Red wine and dark chocolate in moderation may be helpful to your hearing, but overindulgence can be harmful to your overall health. Large amounts of fat and sugar, which are found in chocolate, can precipitate serious health issues. Conversely, too much wine is a danger for more than one reason. So, moderation is the key to healthy living. Living in moderation will serve you well.

Contact your hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids with any questions regarding diet in relation to your hearing health.

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