Four foods linked to reduced risk of tinnitus identified
Tinnitus is a condition where a person hears a ringing or buzzing sound without any sound source, and according to one theory, about 14% of adults worldwide suffer from tinnitus. Tinnitus can cause distress, stress, depression, and anxiety, and in severe cases, can lead to suicide. Four categories of foods that are likely to reduce tinnitus have been identified.
Association of 15 common dietary factors with tinnitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies | BMJ Open
Increasing fruit, fiber, dairy and caffeine linked to lower risk of tinnitus
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03-fruit-fiber-dairy-caffeine-linked.html
According to a research team led by Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Sichuan, China, although the cause of tinnitus has not yet been elucidated, previous research has shown that diet has a significant impact on tinnitus. For example, ingesting high-quality nutrients may improve blood flow to the inner ear, reducing damage caused by inflammation and oxidative stress and thus having a positive effect on hearing.
However, research into which foods may be related to tinnitus has conflicting results, and it is unclear which foods may improve or worsen tinnitus symptoms.
So the research team searched for studies relating to tinnitus and diet in adults published up to May 2024. They found eight observational studies that assessed 15 dietary factors with validated questionnaires that were of sufficient quality to be included in the analysis.
When the research team analyzed the data from these studies, which involved a total of 301,533 participants, they found that increased intake of fruit, dietary fiber, dairy products, and caffeine was inversely correlated with the prevalence of tinnitus, meaning that these four foods reduced the risk of tinnitus.
The largest decrease was in fruit (35.1%), followed by dairy (17.3%), caffeine (10.2%) and dietary fiber (9.2%).
The research team noted that the study could not prove a direct causal relationship, and the quality of the analyzed data was not necessarily high, so the results should be interpreted with caution. In particular, there is debate about the effects of caffeine. While some experts believe that caffeine's anxiety-relieving effect improves the incidence of tinnitus, others claim that caffeine causes insomnia, which worsens the symptoms of tinnitus.
Still, this systematic review and meta-analysis is considered the first attempt to explore the relationship between diet and tinnitus, and the research team wrote in their paper that 'dietary strategies to prevent tinnitus may play an important role in controlling chronic tinnitus.'