New economic analyses commissioned by Food Supplements Europe (FSE) shows billions of Euros could be cut from the cost of Europe’s healthcare bill through a programme of targeted supplementation.
The FSE’s How food supplements can help contribute to public health in Europe report highlights the fact that despite clear guidelines on dietary reference values (DRVs), millions of Europeans are failing to meet these targets.
The new report also makes the case for reviewing the way that public health agencies measure nutritional status, and the basis on which policy is developed. FSE argues that the aim should be to help people to achieve ‘optimal nutritional status’ – going beyond an absence of deficiency, aiming instead for “a nutritional platform for optimal health and function”. This, its says, is necessary for certain vulnerable groups – but also creates opportunities for improving health outcomes in the wider population, for example lowering the risk of chronic diseases.
The report argues that “business as usual in nutrition is not working”.
“Despite the best efforts of health educators, significant groups in the populations are either at risk of deficiency, or failing to achieve optimal nutrient intakes.”
The report includes a series of case studies that apply cost-benefit analysis to targeted supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids (fish oils), phytosterols, or calcium + vitamin D. Collectively this intervention could save up to €64.5 billion over 5 years, says FSE.
Each of the case studies looks at the cost burden of treating particular chronic diseases. Latest data on the effectiveness of supplementation in disease risk reduction is considered, along with the cost of a daily supplementation regime. Finally, a cost-cost-benefit ratio is calculated and an overall healthcare cost saving given (EPA/DHA example is shown).
The report’s authors write: “Scientific evidence combined with economic impact studies reveal that topping up diets with supplemented nutrients not only prevents deficiency but could lead to significant health savings as a consequence of the beneficial impact on chronic disease risk.
“Supplementation is an effective way of bridging the gap between current status and optimal intakes. Indeed, this is already recognized for certain nutrients as illustrated by the example of vitamin D supplementation which is now broadly recommended across the European Union.”