Washington, D.C.—The importance of bone health not only relies on weight-bearing exercises and eating healthy foods, but also adding calcium and magnesium supplements to keep our bones strong.
A new economic report showed that the benefits of specific supplementation can prolong preventive health.
The Smart Prevention—Health Care Cost Savings Resulting from the Targeted Use of Dietary Supplements report, conducted by Frost & Sullivan researchers through a grant from the Council for Responsible Nutrition Foundation (CRNF), showed that U.S. women ages 55 and up who take magnesium supplements at the preventive intake levels can not only reduce the risk of having osteoporosis related medical event by 6%, but also achieve health care savings.
“It’s widely known that taking calcium supplements for bone health is a smart idea, from a health prevention standpoint, as they can play a significant role in helping to hinder bone-related conditions such as osteoporosis,” said Steve Mister, president of CRNF. “Perhaps what’s less known is the role of magnesium in bone health. This economic report reinforces the importance of magnesium supplements, shedding light on the other side of the coin—those who are already coping with osteoporosis and how taking magnesium supplements not only provides a health benefit, but a financial one, as well, through helping prevent medical events related to osteoporosis. Falls and bone breaks are not only painful, but costly.”
The report also indicated that economy could have been positively affected by magnesium supplements. Some conclusions from the findings included 548,000 osteoporosis-related medical events that can be avoided between 2013 and 2020; $6.8 billion in avoided expenditures between 2013 and 2020; and $4.8 billion in savings over the same time period. “The report’s financial findings are most important to those women 55+ currently managing osteoporosis, which is expected to rise 13 percent through 2020. According to CRN’s research, only 11 percent of these women take magnesium supplements, which means 89 percent still have yet to benefit,” said Mister. “Given how costly managing osteoporosis and disease-related events can be, we encourage people to consider the impactful role magnesium supplements can play on their bodies and the nation’s wallet.”
To read more about the Frost & Sullivan economic report go to www.supplementforsmartprevention.org
Published in WholeFoods Magazine, August 2014
