The primary underlying mechanisms may involve the protective effects of these diets on blood vessels and nerves, as well as their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, according to a new systematic review and meta-analysis.
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Increased consumption of fruit, dietary fiber, dairy products and caffeine may be associated with a reduced risk of tinnitus. Image credit: Serp Pae.
Tinnitus, characterized by perceived sounds such as buzzing, cicadas, or electric currents, occurs without external auditory stimuli.
It is associated with distress, depression, anxiety, stress and, in severe cases, suicide, significantly affecting overall quality of life.
Recent epidemiological data suggest a global pooled prevalence of about 14.4% in adults and 13.6% in children and adolescents.
The notable prevalence of tinnitus and its substantial impact on life and mental well-being have increasingly become significant medical and societal concerns.
The origins of tinnitus remain elusive and involve a range of factors.
Some researchers have suggested neural dysfunction or circulatory issues in the inner ear, abnormal neuronal activity in central auditory pathways and irregular activity in non-auditory brain regions such as the anterior insula, anterior cingulate cortex and thalamus.
Diet can have a significant impact on tinnitus, but it remains uncertain which specific foods worsen or relieve tinnitus symptoms.
In their review and meta-analysis, Dr. Mengni Zhang and colleagues from the Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine trawled research databases looking for studies linking tinnitus and diet in adults published up to May 2024.
They found eight observational studies involving 301,533 people that assessed 15 dietary factors using validated questionnaires that were of suitable quality to include in their analysis.
The dietary factors included carbohydrates, caffeine, eggs, fruits, fibers, fat, meat, protein, sugar, fish, vegetables and dairy.
The combined findings revealed that increased consumption of fruit, dietary fiber, dairy products and caffeine was associated with a reduced occurrence of tinnitus.
These reductions were 35% for fruit intake, 9% for dietary fiber, 17% for dairy products, and 10% for caffeine intake.
No associations were found between other dietary factors and tinnitus and results were consistent after further analyses, although the authors note that the association between caffeine intake and tinnitus remains contentious.
The authors acknowledge that due to the observational design of included studies, causality cannot be established, and the relatively small number of included studies may have led to certain conventionally accepted beneficial dietary factors (such as vegetables and eggs) not demonstrating significant differences.
“The primary underlying mechanisms may involve the protective effects of these diets on blood vessels and nerves, as well as their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties,” they said.
“Further large-scale studies are needed to complement and verify the relationship between dietary intake and tinnitus.”
Their paper appears in the journal BMJ Open.
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M. Zhang et al. 2025. Association of 15 common dietary factors with tinnitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. BMJ Open 15: e091507; doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-091507
