Researchers at Harvard Medical School identified a statistically significant correlation between fruit consumption and a reduced likelihood of developing chronic ringing in the ears—so-called tinnitus—among women. The study, which spanned nearly four decades, utilized data from 113.5 thousand participants in the long-term NHS and NHS2 cohorts.
Women consistently completed dietary questionnaires every four years—from 1984 to 2022 (NHS) and from 1991 to 2021 (NHS2). This information was analyzed using the Cox model, which allows for accounting for a broad array of confounding variables—from age and body mass index to lifestyle and prevalent conditions.
The findings indicated: those who more frequently integrated fruit into their diet had a clearly lower incidence of tinnitus compared to women who consumed them less often. Scientists emphasize that this refers not to a short-term outcome, but rather to a systemic, enduring connection between nutrition and auditory health.
The paper’s authors note that while the mechanisms of this link still necessitate further investigation, the richness of fruits in antioxidants, vitamins, and anti-inflammatory elements may play a pivotal role. The research is published in the American Journal of Epidemiology and contributes to the expanding body of scientific evidence regarding diet’s influence on neurological well-being.
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