Dietary supplement usage by at-risk populations could lead to billions in savings of U.S. healthcare costs, says new report

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The CRN Foundation (Washington, D.C.) has published a new economic report which analyzes the potential healthcare cost savings that could be realized if at-risk populations used specific dietary supplements as a form of preventative healthcare. According to the report, titled “Supplements to Savings: U.S. Health Care Cost Savings from the Targeted Use of Dietary Supplements, 2022–2030,” there are only $59 million in savings currently being captured, but according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the 75% of the nation’s healthcare spending is for people with chronic conditions, which cost the U.S. more than $260 billion annually in lost workforce productivity. Unfortunately, the U.S. invests less than 3% of total healthcare expenditures on preventative care services.

“This report is a wake-up call to American healthcare policy makers,” said Michael Meirovitz, director of government relations at the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), in a press release. “We must shift our public policy and healthcare spending priorities so American taxpayers can have better health—and pay less for it.”

“Identifying at-risk populations early and providing targeted nutritional interventions like dietary supplements is a cost-effective approach alongside other healthy habits,” said Andrea Wong, Ph.D., senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at CRN. “A steadily growing body of clinical research shows investing in preventive care through supplementation helps Americans avoid chronic conditions. This strategy is what we call a no-brainer.”

According to the report, the use of certain dietary supplements by specific populations could reduce the direct and indirect medical costs associated with chronic diseases such as coronary artery disease, osteoporosis, age-related macular degeneration, cognitive decline, irritable bowel syndrome, and childhood cognitive development disorders. For example, there is evidence that supports the use of products like omega-3s, magnesium, dietary fiber, and vitamin K2 to reduce the risk of coronary artery disease.

The report was investigated and written by the research firm Frost & Sullivan. The methodology used is a cost-benefit analysis that compared disease-attributed risk and implied associated costs in dietary supplement users vs. non-users. Researchers also utilized meta-analyses of clinical research studies for dietary supplement ingredients as they relate to reducing the risk of a given condition, and determined cost savings by using data that included target population size, risk reduction of population, and the number of possible avoided events from supplement use.