Benefits of a Natural Dietary Supplement for Tinnitus: An Observational Prospective Exploratory Study.

Our assessment

This observational, prospective exploratory study looked at whether a specific dietary supplement could improve quality of life in people with tinnitus. The researchers followed 30 patients with an average age of 50.7 years who took the supplement (called Otocalm^®) for 90 days. Because this was a small study with no control group, the results are considered preliminary and need to be confirmed by larger, more rigorous trials.

How it works

The supplement contains a blend of ingredients including L-theanine, Gingko biloba, melatonin, GABA, zinc, selenium, and vitamins B3, B6, and B12. The researchers reported that after 90 days, patients showed improvements in quality of life measures related to tinnitus. What this means for you is that some people in this small study felt better while taking the supplement, but we cannot say for certain that the supplement caused the improvement. No data on the specific size of the improvement or statistical significance is available from the provided abstract.

Safety profile

Data not available. The provided abstract does not include any information on side effects or adverse events. No FDA adverse event data specific to this supplement was provided.

Our recommendation

Because this was a small, uncontrolled study with only 30 participants, the findings should be viewed as very preliminary. While the ingredients in the supplement are generally considered safe when taken as directed, you should not rely on this single study to decide on treatment. Talk to your doctor before trying any new supplement for tinnitus, especially since the underlying causes of tinnitus vary widely from person to person NIH ODS ↗.