Using Expired Vitamins - How Safe Is It?

Using Expired Vitamins May Not Be The Smartest Thing To Do.

That’s a question a lot of people want to know. It’s not uncommon that people never finish a bottle of vitamins. They buy them to fight a cold or flu. After a few day however, feeling better they forget about them. Months later they need them again and wonder if they can continue using those vitamins.

Expired Vitamins Lose Potency Over Time

As a matter of fact, using expired vitamins will not harm you. But they will be ineffective at best.
There are vitamins and herbal extracts that will actually start to decompose immediately after they are manufactured. They become exposed to heat, light, humidity, and air, causing the nutrients therein to break down more rapidly.
Additionally, some minerals like iron, calcium, or zinc don’t degrade even when improperly stored.
Some vitamins and nutrients deteriorate quicker than others. Examples are: folic acid, some of the B vitamins, vitamins D and C, as well as beta-carotene.
Silica gel packets are often inserted in the container to keep vitamins dry. This prolongs their useful life.
Also, always check tablets for unusual odors or discoloration. Definitely return them to the pharmacy if their effective date is still good.

Taking vitamins that are old does not make sense.

Using expired vitamins after they become less effective as they age simply does not make sense. While they are not dangerous, they might not be as potent as they were before the expiry date. Vitamin manufacturers will not guarantee their effectiveness after expiration.
There are some ingredients that are more fragile than others. Probiotic supplements, composed of live bacteria and yeasts must be discarded past expiration date. And that goes the same for oil supplements sold in gelatin casings. Cod liver oil, flax oil, fish oil, vitamin E, or evening primrose oil. These fats oxidize much quicker than what vitamins do. Just toss them out once they have expired. Vitamin flavors will change over time too. Those chewy vitamins aren’t going to taste right after the expiration date.

Always remember that if you want your supplements to stay fresh and potency-strong, follow instructions on the label. A lot of these say ‘keep away from heat and light’. And don’t remove that little silica packet either; they are there to protect the tablets. Store probiotics in the fridge to keep them active.