Supplements May Help Ailing Health Care System

Dietary supplements may be good for more than your health. They might be good for your pocketbook, too. In fact, a growing body of evidence indicates that dietary supplements could help lower health care costs in the U.S.

In some areas of recent research, the relationship between specific foods or dietary supplements and particular health outcomes is fairly clear. Supplements provide many of the vitamins and minerals generally missing from the American diet, helping to keep people healthy, longer. Analysts say that healthier people means less strain on health care-and that could save Americans money. Here's a closer look:

A Growing Cost
By the year 2030, there will be more than 70 million people aged 65+, with half over age 75. Health care for Americans over age 65 could increase to nearly $16 trillion per year. A number of age-related diseases contribute significantly to whether an older person can maintain his or her indepen-dence, including osteoporosis, coronary heart disease and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Experts say that many of these common chronic conditions might be less pervasive if supplements were taken regularly.

The Role Of Supplements
So what supplements might you need?
It largely depends on your diet, but if you're like most Americans, studies say you come up short when it comes to getting enough:

• Calcium with Vitamin D-to help reduce bone loss and/or osteoporosis, especially among postmenopausal women.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids-to help reduce the relative risk of coronary heart disease.
• Lutein with Zeaxanthin-to help reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration.

Lower Costs, Better Health
In one year alone, there were 309,500 hospitalizations for hip fractures in the U.S. Considerable evidence supports the association between taking 1,200 mg of calcium with vitamin D and reduced bone loss, and fewer hip fractures in elderly people. Similar arguments are made for taking omega-3 fatty acids to help maintain heart health, and lutein to help prevent age-related macular degeneration.
Of course, cost savings aside, doctors say the true value of supplements could be the role they play in good health-which is one reason many now encourage people to supplement their diets.