To help break it down, mbg chatted with doctors, pharmacists, and researchers about how long they last, and the best tips for storage and disposal. 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. “If stored properly, most vitamins have a shelf-life of up to two years,” holistic pharmacist Joanna Lewis, PharmD, says. Meaning, they essentially ’expire’ two years after the manufacturing date. If you’re unsure if your product is expired, check the manufacturer’s website or consult a pharmacist. Echoing Lewis’ insight, Ferira puts it this way: “Unless stated otherwise on the product, two years is a useful rule-of-thumb for gauging expiry, and thus, safety for consumption.” So in general, taking vitamins or supplements past their use-by date is not recommended. According to Lewis, vitamins likely won’t notably spoil (such as milk, for example), but they will lose their potency. What’s more, “aside from highly probable loss of potency due to inevitable ingredient degradation over time, there can be other issues like ingredient interactions, oxidation, and microbial growth that can occur,” says Ferira. That’s because “tablets, capsules, and softgels pack in or enclose the ingredients, while powder and liquid delivery formats simply have more exposed surface area by design,” says Ferira. “This means more potential opportunities for oxidation and introduction of microbial growth by the user or their environment over time. Clean hands and secure packaging can go a long way to mitigate these things.” Sometimes a shorter expiry has more to do with texture and palatability. “Generally, gelatin and pectin-based gummy vitamins have a shorter shelf-life because these confections can get too hard and less enjoyable to consume,” Ferira says. “Depending on the brand and formulation, gummies can last one to two years, so check the packaging,” she adds. And if you’re taking a powdered vitamin, Lewis says the average expiration date is typically up to one year after it’s opened, but can vary by brand. For example, oils (think: fish oil, flaxseed oil, hemp oil) will naturally oxidize over time. Most manufacturers will add antioxidant ingredients, like tocopherols (vitamin E) and rosemary or ascorbyl palmitate to protect oil-based supplements for longer periods of time, Ferira explains. “Also, it’s important to remember that while most probiotics are comprised of live bacteria, some are not (e.g. spores like Bacillus coagulans),” Ferira says, “and that’s OK, if each probiotic strain has been studied for safety and efficacy.”
In terms of the lid, experts recommend keeping the lid sealed until you plan to take them. “Furthermore, tamper-evident packaging and a cap with a threaded design are critical features for achieving a truly tight seal, which is paramount for keeping the vitamin or supplement ingredients safe and fresh,” she says. “Without a tight seal, air, humidity, and other factors (think contaminants like microbes) can potentially compromise the contents.” Ferira adds, “Other culprits for excessive humidity and heat are the bathroom and the kitchen close to your stove/oven, so avoid storing your vitamins and supplements near these locations.” What about on-the-go or travel containers for vitamin storage? While you can use day-of-the-week storage containers, make sure to keep only a week’s worth of supplements in there. The bottle your vitamins or supplements came in was created to ensure potency and purity, so that’s the safest place to store them. If the product is not safe to flush, follow these FDA recommendations2 for disposal:
