Resveratrol Shows Promise to Protect Hearing, Cognition

Resveratrol, a substance found in red grapes and red wine, may have the potential to protect against hearing and cognitive decline, according to a published laboratory study from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

The study shows that healthy rats are less likely to suffer the long-term effects of noise-induced hearing loss when given resveratrol before being exposed to loud noise for a long period of time.

"Our latest study focuses on resveratrol and its effect on bioinflammation, the body's response to injury and something that is believed to be the cause of many health problems including Alzheimer's disease, cancer, aging and hearing loss," says study lead author Michael D. Seidman, director of the Division of Otologic/Neurotologic Surgery in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at Henry Ford Hospital.

"Resveratrol is a very powerful chemical that seems to protect against the body's inflammatory process as it relates to aging, cognition and hearing loss."

The study is published online this week ahead of print in the journal Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

Hearing loss affects a large number of persons worldwide. For most, hearing steadily declines with age.

Noise-induced hearing loss not only impacts a person's ability to hear, it can cause difficulties with sleep and communication, and even raises the risk for heart disease by increasing a person's blood pressure, lipids and blood sugar.

Dr. Seidman and his colleagues have published multiple papers exploring noise-induced hearing loss, as well as the use of resveratrol, a grape constituent noted for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

The latest study focuses the inflammatory process as it relates to aging, cognition and hearing loss.

Journal Reference:

M. D. Seidman, W. Tang, V. U. Bai, N. Ahmad, H. Jiang, J. Media, N. Patel, C. J. Rubin, R. T. Standring. Resveratrol Decreases Noise-Induced Cyclooxygenase-2 Expression in the Rat Cochlea. Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery, 2013; DOI: 10.1177/0194599813475777