Dietary Supplement Usage Could Save $24 Billion in Health Care Costs

SARASOTA, Fla.—The Dietary Supplement Education Alliance (DSEA) released updated research on the potential impact a few dietary supplements could have in reducing health care costs in the United States. According to systematic literature review combined with economic analysis, the use of calcium with vitamin D, folic acid, omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs), and lutein with zeaxanthin by select population groups could save more than $24 billion in health care costs.

“Rapidly escalating health care costs in the United States have severe implications for our society as a whole,” said Jon Benninger, president of DSEA. “This study provides valuable data that may lead to preventative health care solutions and address the budgetary problems facing federal and state health insurance programs, corporate health cost managers and individual families.”

The biggest savings—$16.1 billion—were seen in the estimate of how appropriate use of calcium with vitamin D by older adults for five years could avoid approximately 776,000 hospitalizations and nursing stays linked to hip fractures. The five-year savings estimate for folic acid was $1.4 billion, if 11.3 million of the 44 million American women of childbearing age who don’t take the vitamin started taking 400 mcg/d, avoiding 600 children with neural tube defects. Use of omega-3 EFAs could save $3.2 billion over five years by reducing of hospitalizations linked to coronary heart disease. And daily intake of 6 to 10 mg/d of lutein with zeaxanthin could save $3.6 billion over five years by helping people with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) avoid the transition to dependence.

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