Hearing Loss Is A Silent Risk Factor For Dementia, Study Finds

The mindbodygreen editorial team—the folks that bring you this newsletter—has a Slack channel where we ask each other a “question of the day.” Every workday, someone provides a prompt, and we all share our answers.

It’s a fun way to get to know one another and stay connected in our remote, digital age. I bring this up because recently someone asked, “If you could become an instant expert in anything, what would it be?” The majority of the team said “languages.”

And research shows that there are real brain benefits to this. Read more below about how being bilingual may help your cognitive health as you age.

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A silent risk factor for dementia

Hearing loss is the third most common chronic physical condition1 in the US. Indeed, most adults will deal with some degree of hearing difficulty in their lifetime.

So while it may be common, that doesn’t make it any less serious. Research shows that hearing difficulties—even mild and moderate cases—are linked to cognitive decline.

• In a prospective cohort study2 of nearly 3K individuals, up to 32% of 8-year incident dementia could be attributable to audiometric hearing loss.
• Moderate hearing loss may increase the risk of dementia by around 17% and mild hearing loss may increase risk by 16%.
• The researchers note that treating hearing loss might help delay dementia for a large number of older adults.

So if you notice changes in your hearing ability, don’t delay taking action. Your ears—and brain—will thank you.

+Listen up:

• The underrated threat of noise pollution
• How to protect hearing according to an audiologist
• 7 ways to improve your “auditory diet”

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If you do one thing… learn a language

Being bilingual isn’t just helpful for traveling. It actually builds "cognitive resilience" which can be helpful later in life—especially for those who end up developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

• Looking at both cognitively healthy brains and those with impairment (like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease), researchers found3 those who were bilingual had better preserved brain structure, regardless of disease progression.
• In monolingual brains, there was significant shrinking in the hippocampus—an area vital for memory function.
• Whereas in bilingual brains, they observed fewer changes in volume.
• Interestingly, this was still true for “late bilinguals.” So you don’t need to grow up bilingual to reap the benefits.

There are a lot of ways to support your cognitive function—diet, exercise, and stress management—and this study just sheds light on another meaningful route. One that’s particularly helpful for your next trip abroad.

+Build your cognitive resilience:

• How to build your “brain bank”
• The top 3 things that age your brain
• How to strengthen your focus muscles

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Better blood sugar 101

• How to make any smoothie blood sugar-friendly
• Exercise at this time of day for balanced blood sugar
• The sneaky reason your blood sugar is out of whack
• How women 40+ can better manage blood sugar

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Ask an RD: What are the best fiber-rich foods to eat for breakfast?

Setting your day up for success starts at breakfast. That means eating both a protein-rich (at least 30 grams) and a fiber-rich meal to curb your hunger and balance your blood sugar.

It’s recommended to get between 25 and 38 grams of fiber a day4, and it’s possible to make significant headway towards that goal by including some of these foods in your breakfast.

Mix and match to see if you can get 10-15 grams of fiber at this meal!

• 2 tablespoons chia seeds: 8 grams
• 1 cup raspberries: 8 grams
• ½ avocado: ~7 grams
• ½ cup black beans: 7 grams
• organic fiber+ with prebiotic support: 6 grams
• 1 pear: 5 grams
• ¼ cup almonds: ~4 grams
• ½ cup oats: 4 grams
• 1 slice sourdough: ~3 grams
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed: 2 grams

+Editor-approved breakfasts