While it may not be surprising that good overall nutrition can lessen the burden on the healthcare system by reducing the risk of chronic disease, recent evidence suggests that a daily multivitamin can do so as well. 

According to a recent U.S. study conducted by The Lewin Group, the daily use of a multivitamin by older adults could lead to more than $1.6 billion in Medicare savings in the next 5 years.

For example, a study in The Lancet Journal shows that 70% of Neural Tube Defects (NTDs) could be prevented if all high-risk women of childbearing years consumed the daily recommended intake of folate. Since folate is difficult to get from diet alone, women are often encouraged by their dietitian or family doctor to take a multivitamin that contains at least 0.4 mg of folic acid. The Lewin Group study suggests that if 17% more women of childbearing age did this, approximately 600 babies would be born without NTDs, which would translate into over $300 million US savings per year.

The study also concludes that improved nutritional status, which includes meeting daily vitamin and mineral requirements, could result in healthcare cost savings from a reduction in hospitalizations for heart attacks or nursing home stays and home health care due to infections.

“More importantly, a daily multivitamin may reduce the risk of various chronic diseases and ensure your body is consistently getting all the nutrients it needs,” says Samara Felesky-Hunt, registered dietitian and nutritional educator in Calgary.

More research is needed to explore the potential savings if other chronic diseases and cancers could be reduced. However, many healthcare professionals agree that a well balanced, trusted multivitamin supplement is a safe and simple way to promote good health.

- News Canada
 

Vitamins and minerals have been shown to reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis. Recent research is also showing that vitamins may play a role in protecting us against problems related to arthritis.

According to data from the Framingham Heart Study - an ongoing study of more than 5,000 men and women from Framingham, Mass., that started in 1948 - people with more vitamin C in their diets had higher bone density. Low bone density is a major risk factor for fractures. Higher bone density means stronger bones, as well as a reduced risk of osteoarthritis progression and even prevention of knee pain. This finding came from a study of 25,000 people conducted by British researchers at the University of Manchester and Cambridge University.

Vitamin C is needed to make collagen, which makes up cartilage. Cartilage cushions bones, and not having enough leads to deterioration and osteoarthritis. Vitamin C is thought to play a role in treating rheumatoid arthritis because it battles free radicals that injure cartilage.

Studies have also shown that osteoarthritis sufferers who took betacarotene daily exhibited a decreased progression of this disease. People suffering from arthritic knees who added vitamin D to their diets were less likely to suffer from arthritis in the future. Vitamin D is needed for the proper absorption of calcium. If you're concerned that your diet doesn't provide enough vitamins and minerals, consider the benefits of a daily multivitamin supplement such as Centrum as nutritional insurance.

 

You can be sure that you're always getting the most up-to-date and balanced nutritional support from Centrum, Centrum Forte, Centrum Select, Centrum Protegra or Centrum Performance.

 

Life is often a mix of good and bad. A case in point is your stomach, which supports a sensitive balance of microorganisms, including good bacteria called “probiotics.” Nothing upsets the stomach’s delicate ecosystem like stress, new foods or a change in routine. Keep your tummy on an even keel with Jamieson Probiotic Sticks.

 

Probiotics are good bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, beneficial because they help digest food and stimulate the immune system to protect against infection.

A number of factors however, including antibiotic use, stress and an inadequate diet can disrupt the normal balance of intestinal microflora, reducing their protective effects in the body.

Jamieson’s Probiotic Sticks are a convenient and delicious way to ensure you are getting the friendly probiotics you need to help balance the intestinal microflora and reduce stress-related gastrointestinal symptoms such as indigestion and nausea.

Each portable Probiotic Stick contains a proprietary blend of two probiotic strains, Lactobacillus acidophilus Rosell-52 and Bifidobacterium longum Rosell-175, in a unique micro-encapsulated powder format. This advanced technology protects the nutrients from gastric acidity, thus ensuring the probiotics are delivered to the intestinal tract where they are needed. It also protects the active cultures from temperature variations. So Probiotic Sticks need no refrigeration, making them perfect for travel.