Study: Folic Acid May Slow Hearing Loss
Posted on: Wednesday, 3 January 2007, 18:00 CST
Folic acid, a member of the B vitamin family, may impede age-related hearing loss, a Dutch study finds.
Folic acid, already required to be added to flour in the United States, is also known as folate. Folic acid deficiency can cause birth defects and seems to contribute to heart disease and stroke, WebMD.com said.
The study involved 728 Dutch men and women age 50 to 70.
Half the study participants got strong folic acid supplements while the other participants received a placebo.
After three years, those who received folic acid pills had less low-frequency hearing loss than did placebo recipients. The difference was slight: 0.7 decibels. The smallest change in sound intensity most people can notice is 1.0 decibels.
Researchers said no slowing of high-frequency hearing loss was noted, possibly because high-frequency hearing loss begins earlier than age 50.
Researchers Jane Durga of Wageningen University and colleagues suggested by fortifying flour with folic acid, nations might lessen age-related hearing loss.
Source: United Press International
Related Articles
- Harvard Study Shows Folic Acid, B Vitamins in Animi-3(R) May Prevent Vision Loss
- Brides-to-be should take folic acid
- Folic Acid Message Not Making Impact
- National Center for Regenerative Medicine Study Shows Isolation of Cochlear Stem Cells May Lead to a Treatment for Hearing Loss
- Folic Acid Reduces Cleft Lip Risk
- Women From Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups Should Be Encouraged to Consume Vitamin Supplements Containing Folic Acid
- Folic Acid May Delay Decline in Thinking Skills; Studies Suggest Promising Therapies for Alzheimer's
- Study: Extra Folic Acid May Help Memory
- Sensorineural Hearing Loss Associated With Psoriatic Arthritis
 |
 |
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds