Experts highlight food supplements to fill nutrient gaps in Europe

Many EU consumers do not meet daily recommended intake levels for essential vitamins and minerals, according to a recent peer-reviewed paper. The authors argue that food supplements can play a critical role in offsetting these gaps, specifically in vulnerable groups, and help reduce healthcare costs by reducing disease risk and improving workforce productivity.

They say that deficiencies and insufficiencies are common, especially among children, older adults, pregnant and lactating women, and people following restrictive diets. The authors add that nutrient gaps impact resilience, productivity, and healthcare costs, but their health and economic consequences “remain under-recognized” in public policy. 

“Our paper highlights the urgency of addressing micronutrient gaps as a public health priority in the EU,” comments the paper’s senior author, Dr. Kostas Mantantzis, from the Department of Regulatory, Medical, Safety, Quality, and Compliance at Bayer Consumer Care. 

“These preventable shortfalls affect well-being and strain healthcare systems. Food supplements offer a safe and effective way to support nutrition and resilience, and their role should be more clearly reflected in public health policies and clinical education as valuable complements to a balanced diet.”

The paper, written by experts from the UK Council for Responsible Nutrition, Nestlé Health Science, the Amway Corporation, and Bayer Consumer Care, states that integrating food supplements into nutrition policy is cost-effective for improving health outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. 

Examining deficiencies

The paper, published in Frontiers in Nutrition, states that research into the scale of “true prevalence” of micronutrient deficiencies across Europe is a first step to addressing the issue. 

For example, they point to The Zero Hidden Hunger EU initiative that aims to provide better data on the prevalence, causes, and costs of micronutrient deficiencies across different regions and populations. This project will also explore strategies to communicate this information to policymakers

“This important work confirms what we have long known: nutrient deficiencies are a fact of life for many in the EU,” comments Peter Loosen, chair of Food Supplements Europe, representing the industry in Europe. 

The authors call for an integrated approach to nutrition policy that fully recognizes and utilizes the value of food supplements.“The European Commission’s work on harmonizing maximum levels of vitamins and minerals should fully reflect the positive role that food supplements can play in safely and effectively addressing micronutrient gaps.” 

In the US, the Council for Responsible Nutrition has also urged the Dietary Guidelines for Americans to include more supplement recommendations. The association says that supplements are critical in addressing nutrient inadequacies. 

Vitamin D support

As an example of established micronutrient gaps, the authors point to existing evidence finding that around 40% of Europeans are vitamin D deficient. This is linked to a higher risk of fractures, osteoporosis, infections, and cardiometabolic disease. 

Specifically, Food Supplements Europe indicates that supplementing with vitamin D and calcium could prevent over half a million fractures annually across the EU. This would save healthcare systems €5.7 billion (US$6.7 billion). 

The organization specifies that for every €1 (US$1.17) spent, €5.58 (US$6.52) could be saved in fracture-related costs, which it says underscores the strong economic and societal value of such interventions.

Integrated approach

The authors observe a need to implement proactive nutritional strategies for optimal health, rather than preventing micronutrient deficiencies. For example, the EU’s Food 2030 strategy emphasizes personalized nutrition and supplements to achieve optimal health. 

The authors also highlight the need for fortified foods to help overcome deficiencies and encourage the safe use of supplements. They note that it’s important to identify people who would benefit most from supplementation. 

In their paper, they call for an integrated approach to nutrition policy that “fully recognizes and utilizes the value of food supplements in supporting a healthier and more resilient European population.”

They say such an approach would include more recognition for the role of food supplements in public health strategies as a “safe and effective way” to bridge micronutrient gaps. 

Moreover, they note that improved training for healthcare professionals on such gaps and inadequacies and how to manage them would be a key component of an integrated EU-wide approach. 

According to the paper, current clinical training is often more restricted to well-known deficiencies like iron and vitamin D. Training also overlooks the long-term and insidious impact of micronutrient gaps on the population’s overall health and resilience.