Can i take expired vitamins

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Jessica Farthing. Our stories are reviewed by medical professionals to ensure you get the most accurate and useful information about your health and wellness. For more information, visit our medical review board. Expired vitamins or supplements are not toxic, but they are less potent and effective.

Taking less-potent vitamins can be dangerous if you need a certain dosage to treat a condition. To prevent vitamins from expiring, store them in a cool, dark, and dry environment. HuffPost Personal Video Horoscopes. Follow Us. Terms Privacy Policy. Part of HuffPost Wellness. All rights reserved. We surveyed experts to find out what you should know:. Vitamins do expire, but not in the same way as, say, your leftovers.

Traas added that improper vitamin storage can sometimes even negate an expiration date. Suggest a correction. Newsletter Sign Up. Prenatal vitamins contain folic acid, which is essential for reducing the risk of neural tube defects in the developing fetus. How quickly a vitamin expires depends on several factors—some of which are related to manufacturing and others related to your own habits.

The shelf-life of vitamins may also depend on the type of vitamin. For example, some research has suggested that certain vitamins may break down more quickly. The shelf life of multivitamins is based on the specific vitamin that is quickest to lose its potency.

At the time of publishing, these are policies of some of the most common supplement manufacturers:. Take an inventory of your vitamin stash. If you discover any expired bottles, dispose of them properly. The EPA does not recommend flushing expired vitamins down the toilet. The substances may pass through wastewater treatment plants and end up in lakes, rivers, or other sources of drinking water.

Get nutrition tips and advice to make healthy eating easier. General Dietary Supplement Labeling. Am J Clin Nutr. Folic acid supplementation and pregnancy: more than just neural tube defect prevention.

Rev Obstet Gynecol. NSF International. Stability Testing for Dietary Supplements. Impact of deliquescence on the chemical stability of vitamins B1, B6, and C in powder blends. J Agric Food Chem.

Environmental Protection Agency. Deliquescence behavior and chemical stability of vitamin C forms ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, and calcium ascorbate and blends. Int J Food Prop.