There are many types of fats. Saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and trans fats. And no, not all of them are bad for our health. Specifically, the consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids it is essential since our body does not produce them.
The best known of these good fats are omega-3 and omega-6omega-6, which have important benefits on our cardiovascular health, brain function and pregnancy.
It may interest you: Having low levels of omega 3 is a predictor of premature death
But could its consumption also affect hearing?
Well, according to a study developed by researchers from the CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), from the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) and the University of Oviedo, if there is a relationship between the consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids and the Hearing loss that occurs with age, especially among women.
A relevant study
This work, published in European Journal of Nutrition, has analyzed information from more than 105,000 men and women aged 40 and over, participants in the UK Biobank study, with the aim of examining the association between fatty acid intake and hearing impairment during a follow-up period of more than 3 years.
Participants’ dietary intake of total fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), saturated fatty acids (SFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) was assessed at the beginning of the study, also examining the hearing capacity of the patients.
Of the 105,000 participants, 832 men and 872 women they developed a hearing impairment at the end of the study.
The results show the association between a high intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids and a lower risk of hearing impairment in women, especially in those under 60 years of age, as explained by the CIBERESP researcher Humberto Yévenes.
According to Esther López, a CIBERESP researcher at the UAM, “this study is very important because hearing loss is one of the main causes of years lived with disability, and it is considered invisible because it is usually underestimated compared to other health problems, hence we could help develop dietary recommendations to maintain optimal hearing. ”
In what foods are polyunsaturated fatty acids found?
We have already seen that these acids are considered essential because our body is not capable of synthesizing them, which is why we must provide them through food.
There are two types of polyunsaturated fatty acids, omega-6 and the “famous” omega-3. Omega-6 can be obtained by eating:
In the case of the other type more known to all, omega-3, it is found in the following foods:
The challenge: determine if saturated fatty acids increase risk
In older people, hearing loss has been associated with an increased risk of social isolation, depression, cognitive decline, poor quality of life, and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Likewise, scientific evidence suggests that sex models susceptibility to age-related hearing loss due to the protective effect of estrogens on hearing function.
In addition, hearing can also be lost due to impaired vascular function, so foods that can improve this function can play a protective role.
In this line, they consider that it is convenient to continue researching to detect the cause of the differences between men and women, and to elucidate whether the intake of saturated fatty acids increases the risk of hearing loss.
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Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.