Tinnitus Haven

Do supplements help tinnitus? Ginkgo, zinc, melatonin and more

No dietary supplement has been shown to reduce tinnitus. Cochrane reviews found no clear benefit from ginkgo biloba or zinc, and the US and German guidelines advise against supplements for tinnitus. Some supplements can interact with medicines, so check with a doctor or pharmacist before you take one.

Last reviewed:

By the Tinnitus Haven editorial team. Sources are listed at the end of the page.

This guide is general information, not medical advice. If your tinnitus is new, one-sided, pulsing or comes with hearing loss or dizziness, see a doctor.

Because tinnitus has no cure, many people look for one, and supplements are heavily advertised. Vitamins, herbal extracts and other supplements are often sold as cures for tinnitus, but none has been proven to work[1]. Tinnitus UK reports that many people ask about products advertised on social media with bold claims[2].

In an online survey of 1,788 people with tinnitus, almost a quarter were taking supplements, most often ginkgo biloba, lipoflavonoids, magnesium, melatonin, vitamin B12 and zinc. About 71% noticed no effect on their tinnitus, 19% reported an improvement and 10% said it got worse; 6% reported side effects[3].

What do guidelines say?

What does the research say about each supplement?

Ginkgo biloba

The most studied supplement for tinnitus. A 2022 Cochrane review of 12 trials with 1,915 people found that ginkgo may have little to no effect on tinnitus severity compared with placebo, although the evidence is very uncertain[7]. Ginkgo may increase the risk of bleeding in people who take blood thinners such as warfarin, may interact with other medicines, and may be unsafe in pregnancy[8].

Zinc

A 2016 Cochrane review of three trials with 209 adults found no evidence that zinc tablets improve tinnitus[9]. High doses of zinc reduce how much copper the body can absorb, which can lead to anaemia and weaker bones; the NHS advises not taking more than 25 mg a day from supplements unless a doctor recommends it[10].

Melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone involved in the sleep and wake cycle. Three small trials with 193 people in total suggested some benefit, mainly in people with severe tinnitus and insomnia, but the German guideline says these results should be interpreted with caution, and another review found no effect on tinnitus itself, only on sleep[5]. The US guideline recommends against it for tinnitus[4]. Short-term use appears safe for most people, but long-term safety is not known, people with epilepsy or on blood thinners need medical supervision, and products do not always contain the amount on the label[11]. If sleep is the problem, our tinnitus and sleep guide covers approaches with better evidence.

Magnesium

The evidence is very limited. In one small study, 26 people took magnesium for three months and some reported less tinnitus handicap, but there was no placebo group, so it is impossible to say whether magnesium caused the change[12]. A study from Türkiye found lower blood magnesium levels in 76 people with severe tinnitus than in 86 people without tinnitus[13], but a link of this kind does not show that magnesium tablets help. A 2026 review of magnesium in ear conditions concluded that its use for tinnitus is still experimental[14]. Magnesium is also often one ingredient among many in combination products, which makes its own effect hard to judge[6]. More than 400 mg a day can cause diarrhoea[10].

Vitamin B12

In a double blind trial with 140 people with tinnitus of unknown cause, a month of vitamin B12 made no difference to tinnitus severity compared with placebo[15]. If you have a diagnosed vitamin deficiency, treating it is a separate matter: supplements are useful when the body is actually short of a nutrient[2].

Lipoflavonoids

Lipoflavonoids (bioflavonoids from citrus fruit) are often sold for ear symptoms. The German guideline lists them among supplements for which there is no evidence of an effect on tinnitus[5]. In a small randomised trial, 40 people took a lipoflavonoid product for six months, half of them together with manganese. Twelve left the study because of side effects or were lost to follow-up, very few people in either group improved, and the researchers could not conclude that either product works for tinnitus[16]. In the survey above some users reported better sleep or calmer emotional reactions, but these were personal reports without a comparison group[3].

Astaxanthin

Astaxanthin is a carotenoid pigment that is sold as an antioxidant[17]. We found no clinical trials of astaxanthin for tinnitus. The research so far consists of laboratory and animal studies on whether it might protect the inner ear from damage, mainly hearing loss caused by the cancer drug cisplatin[17]. That is a long way from evidence that it helps people with tinnitus.

What about "tinnitus formula" capsules?

Many products are sold specifically for tinnitus as a formula, capsule or drops. A 2019 study of these products on the US market found that all of them made unfounded claims of relief, and that most were mixtures of common, inexpensive vitamins, minerals and herbs sold at a higher price than similar products not labelled for tinnitus[18]. A 2026 review found that the trials of combination products are few, varied and methodologically weak, so no firm conclusions can be drawn about them[6]. If a product promises to silence tinnitus, it is promising more than any supplement has shown[1, 2].

Why do some people feel better on a supplement?

Tinnitus UK points to the placebo effect and to reduced stress: finding a product that promises to help can take your focus off the problem, and feeling calmer can make tinnitus less noticeable[2]. The survey authors also note that people who expect a benefit are more likely to report one[3].

If you still want to try a supplement

Tinnitus Haven brings sound therapy, a hearing check and CBT-based lessons together in one calm iPhone app, coming soon to the App Store. Learn more about Tinnitus Haven.

Sources

  1. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), NIH. Tinnitus. 2023.
  2. Tinnitus UK. Tinnitus and dietary supplements.
  3. Coelho C, Tyler R, Ji H, et al. Survey on the effectiveness of dietary supplements to treat tinnitus. American Journal of Audiology, 2016.
  4. Tunkel DE, Bauer CA, Sun GH, et al. Clinical practice guideline: tinnitus. Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, 2014 (AAO-HNSF).
  5. Mazurek B, Hesse G, Sattel H, et al. S3 Guideline: Chronic Tinnitus. German Society for Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (DGHNO-KHC). HNO, 2022. English version of the German AWMF guideline 017/064 (2021).
  6. Menon R, Ziner J, Tolordava A, et al. Effectiveness of over-the-counter treatments for tinnitus symptom relief: a systematic review. Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology, 2026.
  7. Sereda M, Xia J, Scutt P, Hilton MP, El Refaie A, Hoare DJ. Ginkgo biloba for tinnitus. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2022.
  8. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), NIH. Ginkgo.
  9. Person OC, Puga ME, da Silva EM, Torloni MR. Zinc supplementation for tinnitus. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2016.
  10. NHS. Vitamins and minerals: Others. NHS website.
  11. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), NIH. Melatonin: What You Need To Know.
  12. Cevette MJ, Barrs DM, Patel A, et al. Phase 2 study examining magnesium-dependent tinnitus. International Tinnitus Journal, 2011.
  13. Uluyol S, Kılıçaslan S, Yağız Ö. Relationship between serum magnesium level and subjective tinnitus. Kulak Burun Boğaz İhtisas Dergisi, 2016.
  14. Büntzel J, Kisters K, Büntzel J, Micke O. The role of magnesium in otology: a narrative review. Magnesium Research, 2026.
  15. Dadgarnia M, Mandegari M, Zand V, et al. The effect of vitamin B12 on idiopathic tinnitus. American Journal of Otolaryngology, 2024.
  16. Rojas-Roncancio E, Tyler R, Jun HJ, et al. Manganese and Lipoflavonoid Plus to treat tinnitus: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 2016.
  17. Nan B, Gu X, Huang X. The role of the reactive oxygen species scavenger agent, astaxanthin, in the protection of cisplatin-treated patients against hearing loss. Drug Design, Development and Therapy, 2019.
  18. Vendra V, Vaisbuch Y, Mudry AC, Jackler RK. Over-the-counter tinnitus "cures": marketers' promises do not ring true. Laryngoscope, 2019.