Most people will have heard the story that eating carrots is good for your eyesight, but sprouts can have the same sort of benefits for your hearing.
This revelation was published in an article in the Daily Express on surprising foods that have unexpected health benefits, even if some people will turn their noses up at them, which also include tripe, black puddings, anchovies and that ultimate take-it-or-leave it comestible, Marmite.
Sprouts may divide opinions themselves, but Ashish Shah of the Hearing Care Partnership told the paper that while eating them “isn’t for everyone”, they contain elements that are good news for your ears, as “they contain many nutrients, including – surprisingly – omega-3 fatty acids.”
She added: “Cooked Brussels sprouts contain 135mg of Omega-3 fatty acids per 78g serving, which can help to delay and in some cases even prevent, age-related hearing loss.”
Another benefit Ms Shah highlighted is the high folic acid content in sprouts, which improves blood circulation, another factor in keeping ears healthy, while sprouts also contain magnesium, which she said has been shown in studies to help prevent ear damage and ease the symptoms of tinnitus.
Finally, she noted, sprouts contain Vitamin C, which is good for the immune system and therefore useful in reducing ear infections.
Naturally enough, the paper pointed out there is a downside to sprouts, which can produce a lot of wind when eaten in large quantities due to their sulphur content. Nonetheless, the fact that there is some dietary benefit to this food means there may be good reasons to include them in the Sunday roast.
The question is whether that means you shouldn’t bother with a hearing test, just as long as you get your green veg portions in.
Unfortunately, it isn’t like that. While sprouts may help your ear health, there are all sorts of ways in which your hearing can still be damaged.
For instance, you may work in a noisy workplace where you have not had adequate hearing protection. You may listen to loud music with earphones in and the volume too loud. Alternatively, you may suffer from medical conditions like Meniere’s disease or acoustic neuroma.
Because of these and other causes, not least the basic fact of ageing, nobody is immune to hearing loss, no matter how many sprouts you eat. Whatever your diet, if you find you are not quite picking things up as well as you once were, or even think that might be the case, you should get a hearing test.
In the same way that doing things to protect your arteries like drinking red wine with lots of flavonoids can be counterbalanced by eating lots of food with saturated fats, so it is that eating sprouts may help your hearing, but so many other things could still damage it.
By getting a hearing aid, earwax removal, or whatever other treatment you may benefit from, you can take the necessary steps to ensure that any shortcomings in your hearing are addressed, with or without a green vegetable that divides opinion.
