Role and value of supplements

Since IADSA was created 20 years ago, there has been significant evolution of regulation, science and the market. The supplement sector today looks vastly different from what it did in the late 1990s. This publication brings together some of the key points in this evolution, looks at the current landscape and identifies some trends in the future direction of travel. This publication is based partly on presentations made at IADSA’s 20th Anniversary Events in London in June 2018.

The rising cost of healthcare provision is one of the world’s most urgent issues. Population growth and longer life expectancy are putting healthcare systems and budgets under intense pressure globally. With more people to treat and more people living for longer, the need to manage healthcare costs has never been greater. As life expectancy increases, so does demand for treatment for illnesses and conditions related to old age. Over the past decade a number of significant studies have been carried out to establish the extent to which more widespread use of some dietary supplements has the potential to reduce the number of people requiring medical treatment and/or hospitalization. This concise report addresses the above issues and considers what this might mean for helping manage the burden placed on healthcare systems by the world’s ageing population now and in the future.

The importance of appropriate nutrition interventions to improve child health and development and good nutrition in utero has far-reaching implications for a nation’s economic development and the chance for people to prosper. Governments and health professionals already recognise the need for the use of food supplements in certain targeted population groups. However, significant proportions of the general population are failing to achieve adequate intakes of several micronutrients. A key objective of this publication is to promote better awareness of the potential role of food supplements in supporting a varied and balanced diet and to help improve the nutritional status of populations around the world.

This review explores the factors that influence nutritional status in older people and describes the physical and cognitive changes that can lead to years of lost good health. It highlights the overwhelming evidence which demonstrates that good nutrition and specific nutrients and other food substances can play a major role in maintaining and enhancing physical and mental performance as well as delaying the onset of chronic diseases.