Can Dietary Supplements Save You Money?

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Article Title:

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Can Dietary Supplements Save You Money?

Article Description:

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New research has shown that spending pennies a day on a few key

nutritional supplements can dramatically reduce sickness and

chronic disease -- and greatly decrease healthcare expenditures

as a result.

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689 Words; formatted to 65 Characters per Line

Distribution Date and Time: 2008-04-15 13:00:00

Written By: Mark Hyman, M.D.

Copyright: 2008

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Can Dietary Supplements Save You Money?

Copyright © 2008 Mark Hyman, M.D.

The UltraWellness Blog

http://www.ultrawellness.com/blog/

It’s cheap, painless—and can reduce this country’s healthcare

spending by $24 billion over five years.

What am I talking about?

It’s not the latest medical invention or drug.

Nope, it’s supplements.

According to exciting research from the Lewin Group, spending

just a few cents a day on some key nutritional supplements can

significantly decrease chronic illness—as well as healthcare

costs.

Using strict criteria, the Lewin Group analyzed scientific

studies on nutritional supplements, then used our government’s

own accounting techniques to determine their economic impact.

They looked only at Medicare recipients and women of childbearing

age, and only at supplements that have been proven to help beyond

any scientific doubt:

1. Calcium and vitamin D for osteoporosis 2. Folic acid for

prevention of birth defects 3. Omega-3 fatty acids for heart

disease 4. Lutein and zeaxanthin for prevention of major

age-related blindness, or macular degeneration

Let’s start with calcium and vitamin D.

First, the Lewin Group study used older research. Newer studies

suggest that higher doses of vitamin D3 (1,000 to 2,000 IU

daily), may be even more helpful.

But even with that older data, the researchers found that giving

older people 1,200 mg of calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D a day

would decrease bone loss and hip fractures. They estimated these

supplements could prevent more than 776,000 hospitalizations for

hip fractures over five years, saving $16.1 billion.

Next let’s look at omega-3 fats.

Among other benefits, omega-3 fatty acids help prevent cardiac

arrhythmias, improve cell membrane function, reduce inflammation,

and lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

According to the Lewin Group, giving about 1,800 mg of omega-3

fats a day to Medicare-age people could prevent 374,000

hospitalizations from heart disease over five years and save $3.2

billion.

They also estimated the economic effects of lutein and

zeaxanthin, carotenoids found in yellow and orange vegetables.

Taken as supplements, these have been shown to treat macular

degeneration, which is the loss of central vision, a major reason

people over age 65 require nursing home care.

They found that taking 6 to 10 mg of supplemental lutein and

zeaxanthin daily would help 190,000 individuals avoid dependent

care as a result of macular degeneration. The savings? $3.6

billion over five years.

Finally, the Lewin Group looked at folic acid. If 11.3 million

women began taking just 400 mcg daily of this vitamin before

getting pregnant, we could prevent birth defects in 600 babies,

saving $1.4 billion over five years.

These four supplements could create a combined savings of $24

billion over five years.

Yet the typical American diet often doesn’t contain the necessary

amount of these nutrients, putting us at higher risk for the

problems mentioned above.

In fact, the majority of us are deficient in one or more

nutrients at the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) level, which

is the minimum amount necessary to prevent deficiency diseases.

That’s not even the amount often needed for optimal health and to

prevent conditions like blindness, osteoporosis, heart disease,

cancer, diabetes, and dementia.

That’s why I firmly believe we should all take certain

nutritional supplements. These recommendations are supported by

mainstream medical journals (1, 2).

Here is the regimen I recommend for everyone:

1. A high-quality multivitamin and mineral that contains mixed

carotenoids (including lutein and zeaxanthin), at least 400 mcg

of folate, and a mixed B-complex vitamin

2. Calcium-magnesium with at least 600 mg of calcium and 400 mg

of magnesium. Choose calcium citrate or chelated versions of

minerals, not calcium carbonate or magnesium oxide, which are

poorly absorbed

3. Vitamin D3, 1,000 to 2,000 IU a day (people who are deficient

in vitamin D will need more)

4. Omega-3 fatty acids that contain the fats EPA and DHA, 1,000

to 2,000 mg a day.

This regimen is relatively inexpensive, risk free—and the

benefits are enormous. You’ll have better immune function, brain

function, and higher energy and will also prevent many future

health problems.

I think that’s worth it.

REFERENCES:

(1) Fairfield KM, Fletcher RH. Vitamins for Chronic Disease

Prevention in Adults: Scientific Review. JAMA 287: 3116-3126.

(2) Willett WC, Stampfer MJ. What Vitamins Should I Be Taking,

Doctor? N Engl J Med 345:1819.

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Mark Hyman, M.D. is a pioneer in functional medicine, practicing

physician and best-selling author. A sneak preview of his book

" The UltraSimple Diet " is available. See The UltraWellness Blog

for more on Nutritional Supplements: http://www.ultrawellness.com/blog/