Vitamin pills are concentrated forms of essential vitamins and minerals.
Dietary supplements, commonly referred to as "vitamins," contain vitamins and minerals essential to proper nutrition. The levels of vitamins listed on the label is subject to change over time, depending on storage conditions, according to Purdue University researcher Dr. Lisa Mauer.
Vitamin Labels
Although Food and Drug Administration regulations do not require expiration dates, vitamin supplement packaging usually includes a "Best by" date. This date is included by the manufacturer based on the ingredient with the shortest storage life.
Data on Expiration Dates
According to the Food and Drug Administration's final rule on manufacturing practices for dietary supplements, only a few vitamins, like vitamin C, have known methods for calculating storage life. Expiration or "Best if used by" dates included on vitamin packaging must be supported by data maintained by the manufacturer.
Degradation
NASA researchers included multivitamin dietary supplements in an experiment to evaluate the storage life of vitamins in foods for astronaut safety. After less than a year, vitamin levels were reduced by 10 to 15 percent. However, Dr. Shue of the Food and Drug Administration advises that vitamins should remain stable for up to 5 years if stored properly (in a cool, dry place).
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