Study finds few supplements carry DOD-recommended certification at pair of Army bases

Only 10% of dietary supplements sold at a pair of Army bases had third-party certification as recommended by the Pentagon, according to Military Medicine. Supplements are displayed for sale in the exchange at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., in August 2022. (Elizabeth Davis/U.S. Air Force) Only 10% of dietary supplements sold at a pair of Army installations carried third-party certification as recommended by the Pentagon, according to a study published in October by Military Medicine. Researchers examined 1,209 products sold at Fort Drum, N.Y., and at Camp Buehring in Kuwait during six months in 2024. Products included vitamins, minerals, herbs, botanicals, probiotics, fish oils, protein powders and supplements marketed to enhance physical performance.

The study is part of an initiative aimed at increasing the percentage of supplements sold on military installations that carry third-party certification by entities approved by the Defense Department’s Operation Supplement Safety, said Kyala Clegg, a registered dietician who coauthored the study, during a phone interview Wednesday. “My goal is to make sure that our service members have products that are going to keep them healthy and safe,” said Clegg, director of the human performance program for Army Special Operations Command. A 2021 study found that about 75% of U.S. service members consumed at least one supplement weekly. Between a quarter and a third of military users