Regulation of Dietary Supplements in the Military. Report of an Expert Panel

The U.S. military has had a longstanding interest in the potential for dietary supplements to enhance performance and optimize health, functions that it collectively refers to as metabolic defense. However, at the same time, the military is concerned about the potential for misuse of supplements. In 2008, at the request of the Samueli Institute, RAND Health conducted an informal one-day workshop on the use of dietary supplements for performance enhancement and on regulatory issues affecting dietary supplements. The workshop included a panel of experts who considered the following questions What types of policies and regulations currently exist regarding the use of dietary supplements in civilian-sector groups, such as among athletes and those whose jobs demand high levels of physical or cognitive performance What types of policies currently exist in the commercial domain around the point-of-sale for dietary supplements What kind of regulations does the military currently have in place with respect to the use and purchase of dietary supplements If it so chose, what could the military do to regulate the use of dietary supplements The purpose of this conference proceeding is to summarize the workshop that occurred on September 16, 2008. The conference proceeding should be of interest to policymakers, human resources and health care personnel who care for individuals in physically or cognitively demanding jobs, and others interested in the use and regulation of use of dietary supplements.