Dietary Elements May Be Linked to a Lower Incidence of Tinnitus

Clinical Question

What is the association between tinnitus incidence and daily dietary patterns?

Bottom Line

Study results suggest a link between certain dietary elements and a lower incidence of tinnitus.

Background: Tinnitus is a common ailment that has a substantial impact on quality of life. Its origin is elusive, though researchers have suggested numerous potential causes, such as neural dysfunction and circulatory issues. Clinicians offer a range of treatments for tinnitus, but no single treatment universally meets the needs of all patients. 

Study design: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Setting: Changdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China

Synopsis: To explore the association between dietary patterns and tinnitus, researchers mined multiple databases to identify studies linking tinnitus and diet. They systematically analyzed 10 retrospective studies comprising 301,533 participants. Eight of the 10 studies were used in a meta-analysis. Fifteen common dietary factors—carbohydrates, caffeine, varied diets, eggs, fruits, fibers, fat, margarine, meat, sugar, protein, fish, vegetables, water, and dairy—were analyzed. Dietary sources were assessed via validated nutrition/diet questionnaires. The combined findings revealed that fruit, dietary fiber, dairy products, and caffeine were negatively correlated with the prevalence of tinnitus, with reduced occurrences at 35.1%, 9.2%, 17.3%, and 10.2%, respectively. No associations with the remaining dietary factors and tinnitus were found. Most of the analyzed studies showed that dietary fiber and fruit intake have a positive impact on reducing the occurrence of tinnitus. The authors note that theirs is the first attempt to explore the epidemiological link between diet and tinnitus and that, despite their findings, it remains inconclusive whether a causal relationship exists. They suggest that future studies are warranted to complement and verify such a relationship. Study limitations included a relatively small number of included articles.

Citation: Zhang M, et al. Association of 15 common dietary factors with tinnitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. BMJ Open. 2025;15:e091507. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2024-091507.