According to research cheese can cure hearing loss
Sounds weird, doesn’t it? After all those years of being told too much cheese is bad for you, it now appears that delicious chunk of cheddar or succulent slice of brie can cure something as fundamental as hearing loss.
It sounds too good to be true.
Well, it is… and it isn’t.
Research over the past few years has found that one of the amino-acids found in cheese, amongst other foods, can help repair the damage caused by noise-induced hearing loss. But how? Why? When?
The star of the show is D-methionine (D-meth to its friends) which is one of the 20 plus amino-acids found in protein, but in the best tradition of a (good) story, we need to set the scene.
Our hearing is dependent on chemical messages being passed from stereocilia, small projections attached to the top of tiny hairs in the cochlea, deep in our inner ear. These hairs sit on a membrane that stretches across the middle of the fluid-filled cochlea. When sound waves travel into the ear, they create waves in the fluid that make the membrane rise and fall, a little like a trampoline. When the hairs touch the top of the cochlea, they bend, pushing the stereocilia open and allowing the entry of chemicals that carry messages the brain can translate into sound . The problem is, the hairs are brittle and a large wave, triggered by a loud or sudden noise, can affect the membrane and force the hairs to impact the top of the cochlea too hard or fast and damage them. At worst, the hairs snap and the attached stereocilia are out of commission and can’t transmit any signals to the brain. No signals — no hearing. At best they might just be damaged.
Who are the villains of the piece?
Like any good action movie, they come roaring in on planes and motorbikes with guns blazing and the accompaniment of crashing guitars. Noises above 85 decibels (dbs) — equivalent to heavy traffic — can cause damage. The baddies are everywhere though, motorbikes (95dbs), MP3 players at maximum volume (105dbs), sirens (120dbs) and firearms (150dbs) can sound the death (or a least damage) knell for those poor stereocilia.
This is when our star, D-Meth rides in on a white horse (it’s quieter than a motorbike). D-Meth is one of a band of amino-acids, found in proteins, are important for building, maintaining and repairing cells. Research over the last decade has found that D-Meth in particular can help alleviate noise-induced hearng loss if it’s taken quickly enough. They’re still working on dosages, but current estimates are you’ll need to eat the equivalent of 3lbs of cheddar. That’s a big sandwich.
But the hero can rarely do it alone, and the plucky locals have to defend themselves, How can they do that without weapons or skills? The easiest method is to avoid the noise. That’s not always practical, but reducing the volume, frequency and duration can make a difference. If you can’t get away from it, then using barriers, from insulating walls to ear plugs, can reduce the volume and protect your hearing.
In the tradition of all heroes, D-Meth has it’s disguises. Superman has his glasses, Iron Man has his suit and Wonderwoman has her wardrobe-changing spin. So, whilst cheese is being portrayed as the hero in the headlines, D-Meth can be found in other food sources including brazil nuts, lean meat (beef, lamb, turkey, chicken and pork), shellfish. eggs, dairy, soy and white beans and is the defender of meat-eaters and vegans alike.
So, now you can watch our hero, D-Meth, ride off into the sunset as you munch your cheese on toast, washing it down with a pint of milk and a handful of nuts, safe in the knowledge that you can, at least partially, save your hearing. Probably.
