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Lost Hearing Found With Vitamin E's Help
Posted by: Dr. Mercola
October 16 2004 | 2,563 views

Sudden hearing loss (SHL) can be characterized as a dramatic and stressful disease.

While the cause of SHL can be identified in only 10 to 15 percent of people, the majority of victims cannot trace the origin and are often diagnosed with idiopathic sudden hearing loss.

Some Possible Causes of SHL:

  • Bacterial and viral infectious diseases
  • Circulatory disorders
  • Traumatic injuries
  • Immunologic, toxic, neoplastic, metabolic, and neurologic sources

Two-thirds of patients with sudden hearing loss recover within days. The other third, those who do not begin recovery after two weeks, will most likely lose their hearing forever.

Researchers discovered that vitamin E might aid in the prevention and restoration of hearing loss. They also found it protected delicate components of cells in the body from free radicals or toxic by-products. These by-products are caused by pollution in the environment such as include cigarette smoke, heavy metal, ozone and ionizing radiation.

Vitamin E has been proposed as an effective form of treatment for improving recovery of hearing loss. This vitamin also plays an important part as the protector of the body, as it is the body's main antioxidant.

There are a number of additional neurological functions vitamin E has been known to serve including:

  • Prevention of cardiovascular diseases
  • Reduction of cancer
  • Helps improve functioning of the immune system

A study was conducted on 66 patients who were being treated for SHL. The subjects were divided into two groups. The first group, the control group, was given a magnesium and steroid treatment, while the second group was given the same treatment, but with one difference -- they also received 400mg of vitamin E twice a day.

Researchers discovered a significant difference between the two groups.

There was a 75 percent hearing recovery in 80 percent of the patients who received the vitamin E treatment, compared to a 45 percent recovery rate in the control group.

Israel 21C News September 26, 2004



Dr. Mercola's Comments:
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Suddenly losing your hearing can be an incredibly trying and emotional experience for anyone. The good news is that rather than popping pills to cure the disease, researchers have found that vitamin E is an effective tool in treating sudden hearing loss.

Your body's natural antioxidants are the most beneficial to you, and while I don't recommend many supplements, vitamin E is a currently an exception. I certainly might change my mind about this in the future, but currently it seems a reasonable supplement to take, especially if you are a protein type. I must admit though that I vacillate on this issue as I am a protein type and I haven't taken any vitamin E for many months. I have taken it for many decades but the more I study the more I wonder about supplementation.

If you do supplement with vitamin E, Living Fuel Omega 3 & E comes with my highest recommendation. These are pure, very high-quality fish oil capsules that contain both the omega-3 that is so severely lacking in most people's diets (and are essential to help prevent heart disease), and represents the full-spectrum vitamin E you should be taking.

In addition to getting the many health benefits of full-spectrum vitamin E, therapeutic doses of full-spectrum vitamin E from rice bran (including tocotrienols and tocopherols) are added to provide antioxidant protection to these delicate polyunsaturated oils inside the body.

Related Articles:

If You're Taking Fish Oil, Fat-Soluble Antioxidants are Crucial

Vitamin E is NOT Good for Everyone

Natural Antioxidants the Best

Get Your Vitamins From Foods Not Supplements

Sugar Creates Free Radicals and Reduce Vitamin E Levels






 
 
 
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