In Canada $1.1 billion is spent on cholesterol lowering statin drugs like Lipitor. Ontario taxpayers spent $170 million for Lipitor in 2003-04, the single most prescribed drug covered by the Ontario Drug Benefit Program.
A huge amount of money could be saved by taking patients off statin drugs and putting them on functional foods.
Dr. David Jenkins, Canadian Research Chair in Metabolism and Nutrition at the University of Toronto and St. Michael's Hospital, has developed a "portfolio" diet of functional foods that do as much good as statin drugs at a fraction of the cost. A diet including soybeans, almonds and vegetables after thirty days reduced cholesterol in patients by 30% as compared to a 33% reduction with statin drugs.
Similarly, University of Guelph Nutritional Scientist Dr. Bruce Holub, has shown an Omega-3 egg product, Omega Pro, can reduce triglycerides, (another heart disease causing fat in high concentrations). "Across Canada, hundreds of millions of dollars are spent on synthetic drugs that lower triglyceride levels by 25-30%. This product appears to lower triglyceride levels just as much, but through consuming an all-natural food", Dr. Holub said.
The problem is manufacturers of synthetic drugs such as Lipitor can make medical claims about the use of their drugs while functional foods can "legally" make no such claims. Similarly synthetic drug manufacturers can market their products for prevention of heart disease while functional food producers cannot.
Dr. Gordon Surgeoner, President of Ontario Agri-Food Technologies, says "we as Canadians have a huge opportunity to reduce drug costs through food specifically designed for health. It must be scientifically validated, approved by health authorities and importantly, allowed to be marketed and prescribed as a medical treatment. That's not happening today".
Dr. Surgeoner will be in Toronto for the Agri-Food Innovation Forum Monday June 20-Tuesday June 21, 2005.