How Long Do Vitamins Last?
The shelf life of a supplement depends on its form, its contents, and how someone is storing it. Chewable or gummy vitamins are more susceptible to moisture than capsules or tablets. Vitamins in tablet or capsule form may remain potent for several years.
An older study , from 2008, indicates that vitamin C, vitamin K, and vitamin B-1, which is sometimes called thiamine, may break down more quickly than others. Other factors that can contribute to vitamins losing potency include: extreme temperatures
exposure to light
exposure to oxygen
pH levels Unopened vitamin supplements are more likely to retain their potency because moisture, light, and oxygen are less likely to affect them. As a result, a person may prefer to only purchase supplements that contain expiration dates.
How Long Do Vitamins Last?
As with most things, it depends. The “use by” date on the bottle doesn’t quite cover it. And if there is one, it’s probably a conservative estimate, since manufacturers don’t want to say your vitamins are good for several years if they don’t have the data to prove they’re as potent as the label claims.
Labels and dates aside, several factors affect how long vitamins are effective. One study evaluated vitamins across different brands and found that 90 percent of samples of vitamins A, C, and E had significantly degraded after a year in storage.
Are Expired Vitamins Dangerous?
Side effects of taking expired vitamins Likely, nothing will happen if you take out-of-date vitamins… but that’s kinda the problem.
You’Re Presumably Taking Vitamins For Some Health Benefit, Right?
Over time, vitamins will become less and less potent, so you might not get the benefits you’re looking for in an old bottle. While vitamins generally won’t become dangerous with age, if you notice a weird change in smell or appearance, toss that bottle and get a new one.
How To Ditch Old Supplements You May Be Wondering, What Do I Do With All These Old Vitamins?
According to the FDA, the safest way to dispose of prescription or OTC medications is to drop them off at a drug take-back location. The Environmental Protection Agency advises against flushing medications and supplements down the toilet or drains. And putting them directly in the trash may pose a risk to children or animals.
Bottom Line.
If the product has an expiration date listed, it means the company should have conducted stability studies to determine how long the product remains potent. Ferira explains, “Potency simply means that the ingredients in the product remain at or above the dose they are listed at on the ‘supplement facts’ panel on the back of the product.”. Other companies may choose to list a manufacturing date instead.