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Many of our customers throughout the Burlington area take multi-vitamins or other supplements to help them stay healthy. But if they are not storing their vitamins correctly, it is possible that they are not getting the benefits they think they are.

Where Should You Store Your Vitamins?

When vitamins are exposed to heat and humidity, they can degrade. That doesn’t mean they are harmful, but it does mean that they are less helpful. Unfortunately, most people keep their vitamins in one of the two rooms most prone to heat and humidity. They are either kept in the kitchen, which is exposed to heat from the oven and humidity from the dishwasher, or they are kept in a bathroom medicine cabinet, which sees its fair share of humidity from steamy showers.

Storing vitamins in hot or humid areas can have an effect even when vitamins are sealed in airtight containers. That’s because, when you open the container to take your vitamins – even though the container is open only for a moment – a little humidity can get in. For some types of vitamins such as Vitamin C, this can actually change the chemical structure.

Instead of storing your vitamins in the kitchen or bathroom, consider a cool and dry space where they will be out of direct sunlight. A bedroom drawer or linen closet may be more ideal. Also, do not store vitamins in the refrigerator (unless it says to do so on the packaging) as this can also degrade them.

A Safe Place

Many vitamins and supplements come in colourful packaging and enticing flavours. This may make them attractive to children and/or pets. It is important to talk to your children about never taking any kind of pill that isn’t theirs without parental supervision, but it is also important to keep vitamins out of reach of kids and pets. Some vitamins – especially those containing iron – can be very harmful to children. In fact, vitamins and supplements are the number one cause of household poisoning in children.

Keep Them in Their Original Packaging

It may be tempting to redistribute vitamins into smaller packages for convenience, but this should be avoided whenever possible. Some vitamins need to be in certain types of packaging (such as a dark coloured bottle) in order for them to maintain their optimum potency. Therefore, you should avoid putting vitamins into smaller pill containers or storing them in the same container as other supplements.

At Brant Arts, we care about your health and if you take vitamins, we want to make sure you get the maximum benefit – and that starts with proper storage. If you live in Burlington and are looking for a pharmacy with customer-focussed health professionals on staff, then contact us today. We would be happy to provide you with expert advice on any of your supplements or medications.

[1] https://www.rd.com/advice/parenting/dietary-supplements-household-poisoning/