Do dietary factors significantly influence tinnitus?

Tinnitus is a common and multifactorial condition that requires careful medical assessment and management. Many people with tinnitus believe foods can exacerbate or reduce their perception of the condition, but the research on the relationship between diet and tinnitus is limited.

The aim of this article is to review the available literature on the efficacy of a healthy diet, use of dietary supplements, caffeine restriction and salt restriction against tinnitus.

There is very weak evidence that dietary quality affects tinnitus symptoms, and further high-quality analytical studies are needed. On the other hand, the research is clear that dietary supplements are ineffective in reducing the symptoms of people with tinnitus and should therefore not be recommended by clinicians. There is also no supporting empirical scientific evidence for the commonly advocated restriction of caffeine and dietary salt for tinnitus patients.