This lowers dementia risk 5X

Reducing your risk of Alzheimer’s could be as simple as taking care of your ears... [Click here](1770d7/ct0_0/1/ms?sid=TV2%3Apcomw5pSy) to view this message in your browser | [Click here](1770d7/l-002e/zout?sid=TV2%3Apcomw5pSy) to stop receiving our messages [] [] Al Sears, MD 11905 Southern Blvd. Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411 [] May 26, 2023 [] Reader, Reducing your risk of Alzheimer’s could be as simple as taking care of your ears... In a recent study, researchers at Johns Hopkins University tracked 639 adults for 12 years. They found that mild hearing loss doubled a person’s risk of dementia, and moderate impairment tripled the risk. But those with severe hearing loss were five times more likely to develop dementia. There are important links between hearing and your brain health. For instance:1,2 Brain scans indicate that hearing loss leads to a faster rate of brain atrophy, or shrinkage, by decreasing cognitive processing. Hearing loss contributes to social isolation, which causes loneliness and depression, both of which are key factors in Alzheimer’s development. Those with hearing loss dedicate more of their brain’s cells to helping them process sound. But this is often at the expense of other cognitive processes like memory. In my practice, I see many patients who are losing their hearing to some degree. Mainstream medicine and the hearing-aid industry will tell you that hearing loss begins at around 50 and only gets worse as you age — and that an expensive hearing aid is your only option. In fact, this was the outcome of a recent well-reported study published in the journal Lancet. In that study, the authors recommend that using a hearing aid is associated with a 42% lower incidence of dementia. In fact, they come right out and say that not enough people are wearing hearing aids – and that the devices are a “powerful tool” that could “mitigate the potential impact of hearing loss on dementia.”3 There is no doubt that some people benefit from using a hearing aid. But most people waste thousands of dollars on devices that end up unused. I hear complaints about them all the time from patients who visit the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine. But the truth is, most people don’t need hearing aids. What most doctors don’t know — and no one in the hearing aid industry will admit — is that hearing loss can be prevented, improved, and, in some cases, even reversed. For more than two decades, I’ve been telling patients that what you eat affects your hearing. And breakthrough studies back me up... One of these studies was recently published in the Journal of Nutrition. Researchers examined the diets of almost 82,000 people for more than a quarter century. They found that “healthful dietary patterns” lower the risk of developing hearing loss by 47%.4 A second study, by researchers at Johns Hopkins, found that adults who were undernourished were about two times as likely to suffer from hearing loss as their better-nourished peers.5 Here’s what I recommend to my patients: - Take the heart supplement that’s good for your ears. Study after study shows that CoQ10 is essential for all your organs and body functions— especially as you get older. A recent Korean study revealed that CoQ10 can be highly therapeutic for patients with sudden hearing loss thanks to its potent antioxidant impact.6 CoQ10 also helps maintain circulation to the ears and supports energy production in the critical sensory hair cells. I recommend 50 mg of CoQ10 daily. Be sure to take your CoQ10 supplement with food to maximize absorption. And make sure it’s the right CoQ10. The ubiquinol form carries an extra electron and is eight times more powerful than ubiquinone. - Get more 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 gunfire high decibel gunfire during their two weeks of basic training. Those taking magnesium had 50% less hearing damage than a placebo group.7 Sadly, over 70% of people are deficient in magnesium. Leafy greens like kale, spinach, and Swiss chard are good food sources. 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. - Reverse hearing loss with amino acid recommend by the military. Hearing loss is the No. 1 disability our soldiers face. Researchers at Camp Pendleton gave 566 marines N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) three times a day for a month. The other marines took a placebo. A hearing test after the study’s conclusion found that 70% of the soldiers who took the amino acid had dramatically less hearing loss.8 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 from gunfire and explosions. I recommend taking at least 500 mg of NAC a day. But if you know you’re going to a loud concert or sporting event, take 1,200 mg 12 hours before. If you were unexpectedly exposed to a very loud noise, take 1,200 mg as soon as possible afterward. Then take 1,200 mg three times a day, with meals, for the next two weeks. To Your Good Health, Al Sears, MD, CNS --------------------------------------------------------------- References: 1. Peelle J, et al. “Hearing loss in older adults affects neural systems supporting speech comprehension.” J Neurosci. 2011;31(35)12638-43. 2. Griffiths T, et al. “How can hearing loss cause dementia?” Neuron. 2020 Nov 11;108(3):401-412. 3. Jiang F, et al. “Association between hearing aid use and all-cause and cause-specific dementia: an analysis of the UK Biobank cohort.” Lancet. 2023 May;8(5):E329-E338. 4. Curhan SG, et al. “Adherence to healthful dietary patterns is associated with lower risk of hearing loss in women.” J Nutr. 2018;148(6):944-951. 5. Emmett S, et al. “Early childhood undernutrition increases risk of hearing loss in young adulthood in rural Nepal.” Am J Clin Nutr. 2018; 107(2):268-277. 6. Cadoni G, et al. “Coenzyme Q 10 and cardiovascular risk factors in idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss patients.” Otol Neurotol. 2007 Oct;28(7):878-83. 7. Joachims Z, et al. “Oral magnesium supplementation as prophylaxis for noise-induced hearing loss: results of a double blind field study.” Schriftenr Ver Wasser Boden Lufthyg. Clinical Trial. 88:503-16. 8. Shafer DN. “A magic pill? Compound could mediate noise-induced hearing loss.” The ASHA Leader. 2005;10:5-30. alsearsmd@send.alsearsmd.com [Preferences | Unsubscribe](1770d7/l-002e/zout?sid=TV2%3Apcomw5pSy) 11905 Southern Blvd., Royal Palm Beach, Florida 33411, United States