by Melissa Chichester
But before doing that, many people take this time to clear out the old. We tend to clear out our homes, wardrobes, cars, and workspaces – and one essential space to clean out is our stash of supplements and the medicine cabinet.
Because supplements are perishable, it’s important to regularly evaluate them to make sure they are potent and effective. Here are five quick checkpoints to make sure your supplements are still usable.
Like food, nutritional supplements are perishable and do have an expiration date. Check the box or bottle of your supplement to find the expiration date. Replace products that are expired if they are still needed in your routine.
>>How to Read a Supplement Label
Between powder supplements, tablets, gummies, capsules, softgels, and liquid vitamins, there are many supplement formats available. These formulations require different ingredients to maintain their consistency and keep their shape. Liquid supplements will likely expire faster than dried herbs. Gummy vitamins that haven’t been stored properly may be stale and lose taste and effectiveness.
Capsules on the other hand provide a shell to keep the ingredients in, so additional ingredients aren’t always necessary. Some supplements have simply been dried and put into a capsule for ease of use.
If you find an older supplement in your cabinet that you haven’t used in some time, decide whether or not you need it anymore. Discussing it with your doctor is a great first step.
If you’re lucky, you have a cool, dark place ideal for storing vitamins and supplements. Most supplements should be stored at room temperature in their original containers and out of the reach of children. Storing your supplements properly will help maintain their potency.
When you are finished purging old supplements that are expired or not good, it’s a great time to evaluate your current supplement routine. Take note of the supplements that you were using before and talk to your doctor to consider if you still need them or not. Most people find their supplement needs will change during their lifetimes – and depending on age and other lifestyle factors. You may even find that what you needed a few months ago is no longer necessary.
When you create your new routine, place your supplements in a place where you will remember to use them. This will cut back on waste in the future, help you save money, and make the next time you clean out that space much easier.
