Table of contents:
- Can vitamins expire?
- So, can I take expired vitamins?
- These are signs of expired vitamins that should not be taken
Vitamin supplements are usually needed to maintain immunity every day. But sometimes, this vitamin is simply forgotten when you feel that you are fit enough to return to your activities. As a result, you don't realize that the vitamin has expired, even though there are still a lot of it. So, are expired vitamins still suitable for consumption? Here's the explanation.
Can vitamins expire?
Drugs that are already stale, aka expired, are generally not allowed to be consumed anymore. The reason is, expired drugs have undergone changes in chemical composition and decreased levels of efficacy. No longer makes the body healthy, this of course can actually endanger your health and worsen your disease.
Basically, vitamins also have an expiration date just like any other type of medicine. It's just that expired vitamins are not really stale.
Unlike drugs, the expiration date on the vitamin package does not indicate the deadline for the vitamin you can take. However, this date shows the last time the nutrients in the vitamin were able to work optimally.
When vitamins start to expire, this means that the nutrient content in the vitamin will start to decrease. In other words, these vitamins are not 100 percent effective for boosting your immune system everyday.
Vitamin content can be damaged more quickly if not stored properly. For example, vitamins are exposed to heat, light, or contaminated air which can cause vitamins to break down more quickly.
Reporting from Livestrong, vitamins in the form of tablets break down or expire faster than vitamins in capsules. Therefore, pay attention to the storage of vitamins so that their effectiveness is maintained.
So, can I take expired vitamins?
If you accidentally take an expired vitamin, you don't need to rush into panic and think that you will be poisoned by the drug. The good news, expired vitamins are safe to drink, really.
When you take vitamins that have expired, this will not convert the nutrients into toxins in the body. However, the quality of the vitamin itself will decrease as it has passed its expiration date.
Before they reach their expiration date, the vitamins you take contain 100 percent of nutrients that can boost your immune system. However, once the vitamins are expired, the nutritional content will decrease further. As a result, these vitamins are less effective at boosting your immune system.
Therefore, it is best to take vitamins that have not reached the expiration date. This is so that the vitamin content can work optimally for the health of your body.
These are signs of expired vitamins that should not be taken
Although expired vitamins can still be consumed, pay attention to the physical condition of your vitamins. If expired vitamins start to fill with mold, change color, or have a strong odor, they are no longer suitable for consumption.
The growth of fungus on vitamins can cause bacterial contamination that can enter the body. Instead of getting the benefits of vitamins, you will actually catch disease from these bacteria.
Therefore, immediately throw out your expired vitamins and get new vitamins. Apart from being more effective in nutritional content, this can also extend the shelf-life of vitamins.
Remember, don't just throw away expired vitamins. To do this, mix old vitamins with coffee grounds or cat litter, then put them in a plastic bag. If so, throw it in the trash immediately. Avoid flushing vitamins down the toilet or sewers as they can contaminate water and poison aquatic organisms.
