Can Dietary Supplements save billions in Health Care Costs?
Tags : Dietary Supplements
A study commissioned by the Dietary Supplement Education Alliance and conducted by the Lewin Group included a systematic literature review of the most rigorous scientific research available. The study looked to make an impact over 5 years of supplementation around 5 dietary supplements. .
Key findings include:
Calcium – by supplementing 1200mg of Calcium and Vitamin D to those over age 65 approximatly 734,000 hip fractures could be avoided saving an estimated $13.9 billion in medical expenses (not to mention pain, suffering, and deaths)
Folic Acid – if 10.5 million women of childbearing age took just 400mcg of folic acid each day the result would be 600 fewer babies born with neural tube defects per year, saving as much as $321 million or as much as $1.3 billion of lifetime medical expenses over the next 5 years.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids – Lewin’s data review found consistent evidence that omega-3 fatty acids help reduce deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD). Literature contains many promising benefits of omega-3 fatty acids for a wide number of chronic conditions like depression, renal disease, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Glucosamine – glucosamine has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects and is believed to repair and maintain cartilage.
Saw Palmetto - preliminary findings on the effectiveness of saw palmetto use in benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) indicates slight to moderate improvement in symptoms for
men with chronic urinary syndrome.
Such great benefits can be obtained, even if only in theory from such simple and cost effective supplementation. The Lewin’s study released in 2004 documented a potential savings of over $15 billion for just calcium and folic acid alone. Additional benefits from Omega-3 fatty acids, glucosamine, and saw palmetto can add to medical savings. More research needs to be done on these supplements, but the preliminary results are inspiring!
So tell me, has your doctor ever recommended any of the above for you? How does your doctor fell about complementary medicine?
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