SUPPLEMENTS COULD SAVE $70 BILLION IN MEDICAL COSTS
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n a Frost & Sullivan study report au- thored by Christopher Shanahan and Robert de Lorimier, Ph.D., the use of
dietary supplements, including B vitamins, phytosterols and dietary fiber, could reduce the cost of treating coronary artery disease in the U.S. by nearly $50 billion over the next seven years. In addition, healthcare costs related to diabetes, vision problems and osteoporosis could be reduced by nearly $20 billion collectively with the use of certain supplements. The projections were based on cost-benefit analysis comparing a series of scenarios to assess the effect on overall disease management costs if an identified high-risk popula- tion were to avoid costly medical events by increasing their intake of dietary supplements purchased out-of-pocket versus no supplement usage. “The healthcare system spends a tremendous amount of money treating chronic disease, but has failed to focus on ways to reduce those costs through prevention,” says Steve Mister, president of the Council for Responsible Nutrition Foundation. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 3 percent of U.S. healthcare costs are spent on the prevention of chronic diseases.
Air Conditioning Cleans Up Indoor Air A
ir conditioning does more than keep us cool. A study of 300 adults and homes con- cludes that central air condition- ing removes significant levels of volatile organic compounds and pollution particulates from indoor air. The research, published in the journal Sci- ence of the Total Environment, finds that using air conditioning with windows closed reduced indoor air pollution the most. One caveat, however, is that the research was conducted in Taipei, China—notable for its extreme outdoor pollution. Another recent study published in Environmental Sci-
ence confirms the general premise. A research team in Zhe- jiang, China, found that air conditioning reduced the pres- ence of potent atmospheric pollutants known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAC) by 23 percent. PACs contain compounds that are carcinogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic (damaging to fetuses).
natural awakenings
May 2014
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