Do vitamins expire – one of the most commonly asked questions. If you just realized that your vitamin supplement has expired and you are wondering what to do with expired vitamins, let us tell you; there is no need to worry. The expiration date written on the vitamin supplements or medicines is not based on safety; instead, it is based on its potency. As long as no fungus is growing on your vitamin pills, breathe easy. Although you may not be getting 100% benefits from those pills, it will not put you at a health risk.
Are expired vitamins safe to take?
Yes, expired vitamins are safe to take. Expired vitamins should still contain 100% of the dietary ingredients listed on their label, provided it should be stored under correct conditions, as mentioned over the label.
After the expiry date of vitamins, the concentration of dietary ingredients may progressively go down. There is no cause for concern over the potential side effects of consuming vitamins after the expiry date.
Factors responsible for the expiry of vitamins
Expiration of a vitamin supplement depends on variety o factors, which are mentioned as follow:
- Type of vitamin: Liquid vitamins and gummy vitamins tend to expire more quickly than vitamins in other forms, such as capsules, tablets, and soft gels.
- Container type: Vitamins stored in opaque containers tend to retain their potency for a longer time. If you keep vitamins in transparent containers, they will lose their potency quickly because of sunlight’s UV rays.
- Storage conditions: Storing vitamin capsules or soft gels in the high-humidity area can deteriorate more quickly. Avoid exposing vitamin capsules to sunlight.
- Contamination: When you reach into the vitamin container every day while preparing food, you end up contaminating the bottle with food residue. It furthermore results in the formation of bacteria while impacting shelf-life.
Disposal of Expired Vitamins
Look for the inventory of vitamins at your home. If you find any expired containers of vitamins, you need to dispose of them properly. Here are all the recommended steps to suppose of expired vitamin supplements.
- First of all, take out all the pills from the original container.
- Put all the vitamins in a disposable bag or container used to collect undesirable substances.
- Make sure you close the disposable bag after putting all the expired vitamins in it.
- Now place the entire bag in the trash.
It is important to follow these steps to dispose of expired vitamins properly. Do not flush expired vitamins in the toilet as these may pass through the wastewater treatment plants and ending up in the rivers or lakes.
Overall, vitamins do not expire, but they lose their potency after the label’s mentioned date. It is often recommended to avoid taking supplements once they have passed their ‘used by’ or ‘expiry date.’ We hope you got the answer to the question, ‘do vitamins expire.’ For more related posts, watch this section on Natural Health Boosters closely.
