ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. – In response to the ever-growing and evolving world of dietary supplements, the DOD and the U.S. Army have embraced the importance in providing information and resources to service members. This information is aimed at enhancing their knowledge of the risks of dietary supplements, and the effects ingredients in some of these products can pose to individual safety and readiness.
U.S. Army Sustainment Command’s G1 Human Resources/Resilience and Readiness Division held a pilot of four training sessions with more than 500 participants, Aug. 23-24. The training was led by Ms. Andrea Lindsey, senior nutrition scientist and director of Operation Supplement Safety, known as OPSS, and director of performance nutrition for the Consortium for Health and Military Performance, known as CHAMP.
One of the sessions was incorporated into the ASC Senior Leader Forum, providing ASC senior leaders, including those at ASC’s brigades and battalions, the opportunity to understand the impact misuse of dietary supplements can have on readiness.
OPSS’s origins stem from a collaborative effort between the DOD Dietary Supplement Subcommittee, the U.S. Army Public Health Command, and CHAMP, in response to a January 2012 request from the Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs to create a DOD-wide educational campaign on dietary supplements.
In March 2022, the DOD released DODi 6130.06 — Use of Dietary Supplements in the DOD — which requires dietary supplement training for service members and establishes OPSS as the “go-to” program for information on dietary supplements.
Lindsey, who has worked in the dietary supplement safety arena for over 25 years, provided information on how dietary supplements are regulated, what products are and are not considered to be dietary supplements, and how OPSS is educating the entire DOD community.
Her presentation also included real-life scenarios of adverse effects or unexpected positive drug tests service members have experienced after taking supplements.
“I’m not here to say ‘no’ to specific products,” said Lindsey of the training session. “Our mission is the informed use of dietary supplements. Unfortunately, there are some bad players in this area. It’s a multi-billion-dollar industry. We want to make sure all Soldiers have information at their fingertips to make informed decisions and not have an adverse event or a positive drug test, both of which can affect readiness.”
She said each individual taking supplements – especially if they are taking multiple supplements and/or prescription drugs – needs to know exactly what ingredients they are consuming, and how there is potential for those ingredients to interact.
“There’s absolutely no way we can have data to know what’s going to happen with the combination of ingredients in all of these products. When we get the question ‘is this safe?’, I can’t answer that. It truly is buyer beware.”
Lindsey said the dietary supplement world is even further muddied through a variety of misinformation, perpetuated widely on social media. She gave the current example of berberine, a chemical being widely referred to as “nature’s Ozempic” and touted for its perceived benefits in weight loss.
“There’s no evidence to support it results in weight loss at this time, based on current scientific evidence,” said Lindsey. “Someone on Tik Tok started this. So where are Soldiers getting correct information? Hopefully after this, from Operation Supplement Safety.”
The onus is on the individual to become knowledgeable in what they are consuming via dietary supplements; however, OPSS is available and accessible to answer questions. Additionally, the OPSS website https://www.opss.org/ provides continuously updated information on topics such as prohibited ingredients; known tainted products; an ingredients search; a scorecard that helps users asses risks of products; and the ability to report any adverse effects experienced after taking a supplement.
Lindsey said 70% of OPSS website users do so on their mobile device, so OPSS is working on ways to make the site more user friendly in that medium, as well as focusing on technology-based advancements to help users search on-the-go.
“We are working on an app that will be available in 2024 that will have a bar code scanner that will be able to tell you whether or not your product has a prohibited ingredient or a concerning ingredient,” said Lindsey. “We hope that will make it easier for you to do your homework.”
Meghan McAndrew, chief, Resilience and Readiness Division, ASC, said her team will present the success of this OPSS training pilot at the U.S. Army Materiel Command’s senior leader forum in September.
Additionally, the ASC G1/R2 team is working with Lindsey to publish a best practice for program implementation in addressing/educating senior leadership and securing high level champions. This is anticipated to be presented at the DOD Food & Nutrition and Dietary Supplement Subcommittees and working group in November.
Other initiatives aimed at sharing information about OPSS include creating an informational video on dietary supplements and posting OPSS info in public locations for increased awareness of dietary supplements and resources available.
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