May 2007

Use of supplements could save $24 billion
in healthcare costs

A study commissioned by the Dietary Supplement Education Alliance (DSEA) discovered that appropriate use of select dietary supplements can improve the health of key populations and save more than $24 billion in healthcare costs.

Key study findings include:

Calcium with vitamin D: Appropriate use of calcium with vitamin D for the Medicare population shows potential avoidance of approximately 776,000 hospitalizations for hip fractures during a period of five years, as well as avoidance of stays in skilled nursing facilities for some proportion of patients.

Folic Acid: Women of a childbearing age who take 400 micrograms of folic acid on a daily basis could decrease the number of neural tube defects in babies.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Daily intake of approximately 1800 milligrams of omega-3 among the population older than age 65 could reduce the occurrence of heart disease.

Lutein with zeaxanthin: Daily intake of six to 10 milligrams of lutein with zeaxanthin can help people with age-related macular degeneration avoid dependency

Source: Dietary Supplement Education Alliance, www.supplementinfo.org

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