Hearing loss is a common condition in the U.S. An estimated 17 percent of adults, or 36 million, report having some hearing impairment, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Much of that impairment is age-related. Slowing the deafness that comes with age may be as simple as listening to music and taking your vitamins, experts are now saying.

In a recent article in the Houston Chronicle, physicians Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz – of the Dr. Oz show – said that listening to music can be good for you and your hearing. The pair wrote that exposure to music keeps the brain’s hearing centers active and lively, preventing them from degenerating excessively.

Listening to music also relieves stress, lowers blood pressure and keeps the mind active, according to the news source.

What of the ability to hear itself? A study published in a 2010 issue of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery associated hearing loss in the elderly with low levels of vitamin B9, also known as folate. Researchers suggested that poor hearing may be related to poor nutrition.

Folate is necessary for nearly every body process, according to the National Institutes of Health. The agency recommends that adults consume 400 micrograms of the nutrient each day, a level that can be attained through regular vitamin supplementation.