What Are the Risks of Taking Expired Supplements?

Expired multivitamins won't make you sick but they won't provide the same volume or quality of nutrients promised on the label. Learn more about what happens when you take expired supplements.

What Are the Risks of Taking Expired Supplements?

Expired multivitamins won't make you sick or cause any negative health impacts, but they won't provide the same volume or quality of nutrients that are promised on the label. Like your favorite cooking spices, as vitamins age, they lose more potency, so the older the multivitamin, the less potency it will provide. The FDA doesn't require an expiration date, which means that most vitamins aren't on the package, but they do expire. However, it's still safe to take vitamins after their expiration date.

The expiration dates on vitamins and dietary supplements are extremely conservative to guarantee that customers get quality products. Some manufacturers, such as Nature Made, voluntarily put the expiration date on the vitamin's packaging. There is no consensus on when vitamins may expire or start to lose their potency, since each vitamin will expire at a different rate. When you buy multivitamin supplements, check the expiration dates to make sure they don't expire close to the purchase date.

So, if you think you're getting the recommended daily value of that nutrient, you might not be if you're taking an expired supplement. To be on the safe side, you should always check with your healthcare provider to see if you're okay with taking expired vitamins if you need supplements regularly. If you pick up a food container or bottle of medicine at home, know that you should immediately check the expiration date of the product to determine if it's still okay to eat food or if it's still safe to take medications. While it probably won't hurt to take expired vitamins, you should throw them away and buy a new container for maximum nutritional potency.

Look for words such as “Expiration Date”, “Consume by” or “Expiration Date” on the vitamin package. As part of this approval process, “the USP requires participants to provide information on the expiration date and test the product to ensure that it contains the declared potency on the specified date. Just keep in mind that certain groups of people may be at greater risk than others if they take expired vitamins. Instead, discard prenatal vitamins if they have expired and buy a new pack of prenatal vitamins to ensure the potency of the nutrients.

But do we know how they should be stored to prevent them from degrading or expiring? Here's some information so you can keep your vitamins powerful and safe. When storing vitamins and dietary supplements, it is important to keep them in a cool and dry place away from direct sunlight and heat sources. It is also important to keep them away from moisture and humidity as these can cause them to degrade faster. Additionally, it is important to store them in their original containers as this will help protect them from air and light exposure which can cause them to degrade faster.

It is also important to check for any signs of damage or discoloration before taking any expired vitamins or dietary supplements. If there are any signs of damage or discoloration then it is best to discard them and purchase new ones. Additionally, it is important to read all labels carefully before taking any expired vitamins or dietary supplements as some may contain ingredients that could be harmful if taken after their expiration date. In conclusion, taking expired supplements can be risky as they may not provide the same volume or quality of nutrients that are promised on the label.

It is important to check expiration dates when purchasing multivitamin supplements and store them in a cool and dry place away from direct sunlight and heat sources. Additionally, it is important to check for any signs of damage or discoloration before taking any expired vitamins or dietary supplements.