Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Supplement expiration date and storage


Over time, all dietary supplements become less potent. Always choose the product with the longest useful shelf life. Pass on the ones that will expire before you can use all the pills, such as the 100-pill bottle with an expiration date 30 days from now.

Even when you buy a product with the correct expiration date, it may be less effective if you don’t keep it in the right place. Some supplements must be refrigerated; the rest you need to store, like any food product, in a cool, dry place. Avoid putting dietary supplements in a cabinet above the stove or refrigerator — true, the fridge is cold inside, but the motor pulsing away outside emits heat.

Unless your doctor prescribes a dietary supplement as medicine, you don’t need products marked “therapeutic,” “extra-strength,” or any variation thereof. Pick one that gives you no more than the RDA for any ingredient.

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