| 217;s cheap, painless—and can reduce this | | | | supplemental lutein and zeaxanthin daily would help |
| country’s healthcare spending by $24 | | | | 190,000 individuals avoid dependent care as a |
| billion over five years. | | | | result of macular degeneration. The savings? $3.6 |
| What am I talking about? | | | | billion over five years. |
| It’s not the latest medical invention or | | | | Finally, the Lewin Group looked at folic acid. If 11.3 |
| drug. | | | | million women began taking just 400 mcg daily of |
| Nope, it’s supplements. | | | | this vitamin before getting pregnant, we could |
| According to exciting research from the Lewin | | | | prevent birth defects in 600 babies, saving $1.4 |
| Group, spending just a few cents a day on some | | | | billion over five years. |
| key nutritional supplements can significantly | | | | These four supplements could create a combined |
| decrease chronic illness—as well as | | | | savings of $24 billion over five years. |
| healthcare costs. | | | | Yet the typical American diet often |
| Using strict criteria, the Lewin Group analyzed | | | | doesn’t contain the necessary amount of |
| scientific studies on nutritional supplements, then | | | | these nutrients, putting us at higher risk for the |
| used our government’s own accounting | | | | problems mentioned above. |
| techniques to determine their economic impact. | | | | In fact, the majority of us are deficient in one or |
| They looked only at Medicare recipients and | | | | more nutrients at the Recommended Daily |
| women of childbearing age, and only at | | | | Allowance (RDA) level, which is the minimum |
| supplements that have been proven to help | | | | amount necessary to prevent deficiency diseases. |
| beyond any scientific doubt: | | | | That’s not even the amount often |
| 1. Calcium and vitamin D for osteoporosis | | | | needed for optimal health and to prevent |
| 2. Folic acid for prevention of birth defects | | | | conditions like blindness, osteoporosis, heart |
| 3. Omega-3 fatty acids for heart disease | | | | disease, cancer, diabetes, and dementia. |
| 4. Lutein and zeaxanthin for prevention of major | | | | That’s why I firmly believe we should all |
| age-related blindness, or macular degeneration | | | | take certain nutritional supplements. These |
| Let’s start with calcium and vitamin D. | | | | recommendations are supported by mainstream |
| First, the Lewin Group study used older research. | | | | medical journals (1, 2). |
| Newer studies suggest that higher doses of | | | | Here is the regimen I recommend for everyone: |
| vitamin D3 (1,000 to 2,000 IU daily), may be even | | | | 1. A high-quality multivitamin and mineral that |
| more helpful. | | | | contains mixed carotenoids (including lutein and |
| But even with that older data, the researchers | | | | zeaxanthin), at least 400 mcg of folate, and a |
| found that giving older people 1,200 mg of calcium | | | | mixed B-complex vitamin |
| and 400 IU of vitamin D a day would decrease | | | | 2. Calcium-magnesium with at least 600 mg of |
| bone loss and hip fractures. They estimated these | | | | calcium and 400 mg of magnesium. Choose |
| supplements could prevent more than 776,000 | | | | calcium citrate or chelated versions of minerals, |
| hospitalizations for hip fractures over five years, | | | | not calcium carbonate or magnesium oxide, which |
| saving $16.1 billion. | | | | are poorly absorbed |
| Next let’s look at omega-3 fats. | | | | 3. Vitamin D3, 1,000 to 2,000 IU a day (people |
| Among other benefits, omega-3 fatty acids help | | | | who are deficient in vitamin D will need more) |
| prevent cardiac arrhythmias, improve cell | | | | 4. Omega-3 fatty acids that contain the fats EPA |
| membrane function, reduce inflammation, and | | | | and DHA, 1,000 to 2,000 mg a day. |
| lower cholesterol and blood pressure. | | | | This regimen is relatively inexpensive, risk |
| According to the Lewin Group, giving about 1,800 | | | | free—and the benefits are enormous. |
| mg of omega-3 fats a day to Medicare-age | | | | You’ll have better immune function, brain |
| people could prevent 374,000 hospitalizations from | | | | function, and higher energy and will also prevent |
| heart disease over five years and save $3.2 billion. | | | | many future health problems. |
| They also estimated the economic effects of | | | | I think that’s worth it. |
| lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids found in yellow | | | | REFERENCES: |
| and orange vegetables. Taken as supplements, | | | | (1) Fairfield KM, Fletcher RH. Vitamins for Chronic |
| these have been shown to treat macular | | | | Disease Prevention in Adults: Scientific Review. |
| degeneration, which is the loss of central vision, a | | | | JAMA 287: 3116-3126. |
| major reason people over age 65 require nursing | | | | (2) Willett WC, Stampfer MJ. What Vitamins |
| home care. | | | | Should I Be Taking, Doctor? N Engl J Med |
| They found that taking 6 to 10 mg of | | | | 345:1819. |