Most people have the false belief that storing nutritional tablets in the refrigerator will prolong their shelf life or keep them dry. However, if you are one of them, you should avoid doing it, since not all vitamins or minerals should be stored in the refrigerator. The reason is that they run the risk of losing their nutrients or their original potency just by not being kept in the right place.
Even the kitchen may not be the right place to store your vitamins . But then how do you know the right place for nutritional tablets?
Find out where to store your vitamins and supplements .
Where to store vitamins and supplements?
There is no single rule for storing every supplement on the market. However, there are a series of basic guidelines that you should always keep in mind (Manson and Bassuk, 2018):
- Keep your supplements cool and dry. This does not mean that they should be in the refrigerator. Keep in mind that the refrigerator can also be a humid place.
- Heat and humidity alter the chemical composition of some vitamins and supplements, which may reduce their properties. Some vitamins can even dissolve in environments with high humidity. Supplements that include vitamin C, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 tend to suffer from these consequences.
- The best place to store your vitamins is in the bedroom. Although they can also be stored in the kitchen, their containers should be kept away from the stove, oven, microwave or any appliance that emits heat.
- Avoid placing the supplements near the window, the heat of the sun can also cause some vitamins to lose their properties.
- Choose a dark, airtight place to store them.
What supplements can be in the refrigerator?
Some supplements can be refrigerated . This is the case of liquid vitamins, such as fish oil. However, if it is in capsules, it is best to keep it in a cool, dark environment.
In general, vitamins that are in a liquid state are more likely to lose their nutritional properties; therefore, they need to be refrigerated to maintain their nutrients.
conclusion
Reading the product label is a good guide to know where to store your supplement. If the instructions recommend that it be refrigerated, you should do it. However, if it does not indicate it and the supplement is in capsule, tablet or pill form, it is best to keep it in a cool, dark and moisture-free place.
Finally, although no illnesses or deaths have been reported from ingesting expired supplements, it is best to discard them when they have reached their expiration date. Vitamins often lose their nutrients over time .
References
- Manson, JE, Bassuk, SS (2018). Vitamin and Mineral Supplements: What Clinicians Need to Know. Journal of the American Medical Association. doi: 10.1001 / jama.2017.21012
