Get in the Dirt With These Five Ear-Resistible Plants

Nothing says springtime like seedlings and fresh compost for a bountiful new season in the garden. Planning your homegrown fruits and vegetables? Consider these yard-to-table superstars to help support healthy hearing.

Blueberries

Who can resist a batch of berries just waiting to jump into a smoothie, pie, or stack of pancakes? Songbirds love to snack on them, too. And blueberries offer vitamin C, which, when combined with magnesium and vitamins A and E, may help thwart noise-induced hearing loss.

Try This: Simple Blueberry Smoothie

• 1 cup rinsed, stemmed blueberries from the garden
• 2 cups dairy, rice, soy, or almond milk, your choice
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• 3 ice cubes
• Sprig of lavender

Mix first 5 ingredients in blender until smooth. Garnish with lavender, and enjoy. Makes about 2 servings.

Kale

The always-reliable kale’s versatility — use it solo or in soups, salads, lasagna, and more — is matched only by its hardiness. This timeless leafy green includes folate — which, when ingested frequently, may help reduce the risk of hearing loss in older men.

Pumpkins

Direct-sow this favorite no earlier than late May for summer or fall harvesting. Freshly collected pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc, which supports the immune system and — in an oral-medication form — might help improve tinnitus.

Tomatoes

The tomato, a garden staple, has earned its place as a fruit to cultivate. It’s rich in a wealth of nutrients, including potassium, an important mineral for regulating blood and tissue fluid levels — including in the inner ear, which plays an important role in hearing and balance.

Asparagus

This vegetable can take time to cultivate — a few years may pass before the first harvest — but, boy, is it worth the wait! It’s delicious, it offers an opportunity to grow a prized veggie that can be a little expensive at the store, and it provides another source of folate, the benefits of which are discussed above.

“Asparagus can take time to cultivate, but,
boy, is it worth the wait!”

Have a gardening tip to share? Want to learn more about eating for healthy hearing? We love sharing healthful ideas that you can use. So contact us today!