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.
----------------------------------------------------
Mark Hyman, MD 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/
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