The way you store your vitamins can affect their shelf life and potency. Stored correctly, they will keep their potency through their expiration dates--and maybe beyond. Purchase packages that are dated well beyond the date you will finish taking the supplements, and avoid taking vitamins that have changed color or odor because they may be deteriorating. The Health Sciences Institute advises that you discard deteriorating vitamins even if it is before their expiration date.
Expiration Dates
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not require supplements to have expiration dates, but manufacturers of quality vitamin products voluntarily include them. The expiration date indicates the last date the manufacturer guarantees the product to be at full potency. Without an expiration date, the manufacturer is responsible for potency for as long as the product is for sale. Vitamins may retain full potency past the stamped date, but as time passes, the strength of vitamin supplements will begin to diminish.
Photosensitivity
The containers your vitamins come in may be opaque or dark-colored. This is because vitamins will deteriorate if they are exposed to light. Keep vitamins in their original containers, and store them in a dark, dry cupboard to extend their shelf life.
Temperature
Supplements that contain essential fatty acids or other perishable ingredients--such as food starch or intestinal flora--should be refrigerated to maintain potency, according to VitaminInsight.com. All other vitamins should be stored in a dark, dry place at room temperature. A cupboard or nightstand drawer is ideal. Showering and bathing cause fluctuations in bathroom heat and humidity, so the bathroom medicine cabinet is not a good place to store vitamins.
Humidity
Humidity or moisture can cause supplements to break down structurally, sometimes even dissolving the compounds in the tablets. Do not refrigerate vitamins that do not contain perishable ingredients, advises VitaminInsight.com. Every time you open the bottle, there is an exchange of warm and cold air, which can cause moisture condensation inside the bottle. The moisture build-up can initiate a rapid deterioration of your vitamins.
Outdated Vitamins
Taking outdated supplements does not pose a danger to your health. Vitamins that are outdated have simply lost potency, with each vitamin giving you a lower dose than is listed on the product label. Do not take vitamins that have changed color or odor.
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