8 things you didn't know were ageing you

What's ageing your... hearing?

Not eating enough fruit and veg

Yes, even your ears would like you to eat up your greens. And here's why: "There's evidence that antioxidants help prevent noise-induced hearing loss," reveals Professor Richard Salvi, who's studying this link at the Center for Hearing & Deafness at the University of Buffalo in the US. When noise hits your ears, the cells produce free radicals - and the louder the sound, the more they produce. Your body uses antioxidants to fight off these damaging free radicals but, "If you don't eat enough antioxidant-rich foods to keep up your levels, damage will occur to the ear," explains Professor Salvi.

Halt the decline Ensure you eat your ‘five a day' at least. And adding a protein shake to your diet will be beneficial too. Whey protein helps increase levels of the antioxidant glutathione - low levels of which are specifically linked to noise-induced hearing loss. Try Solgar's Whey To Go Protein Powder, £22.79, from health food stores or www.solgar.co.uk.

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