How To Properly Store Supplements
Most non-perishable supplements in tablet, liquid, topical, tincture, capsule, or powder form should be stored at room temperature, away from extreme temperatures, moisture, light, and oxygen. Avoid storing dietary supplements, prescription medications, and OTC medications in warm and humid environments, such as in a kitchen or bathroom medicine cabinet. To limit oxygen and moisture exposure, be sure to tightly secure lids.
Certain probiotics and perishable dietary supplements may require refrigeration. If a supplement requires refrigeration as recommended by the manufacturer, it is typically indicated on the label. Storage recommendations for perishable and heat-sensitive supplements include:
- Adhere to manufacturers storage recommendations, typically found on the supplements label. When in doubt, store the supplement in the refrigerator and follow up with your practitioner, call the manufacturer directly, or contact Fullscripts customer success team.
- If ordering supplements online during warmer months, check your packages tracking details so you know when to expect it, or consider requesting expedited delivery. Upon arrival, place the unopened bottle or container into the fridge and allow it to cool completely before opening.
- Properly seal the supplement after each use.
Did you know? Moisture-rich environments, such as refrigerators and bathroom medicine cabinets, may reduce the potency of water-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin C and B vitamins.
How To Responsibly Dispose Of Supplements
Properly disposing of supplements and medications is important for human and environmental health. Outlined below are some of the disposal methods recommended by the FDA.
Outlined below, are four easy steps for properly disposing of supplements in the trash:
Did you know? In 2017, 26.8 million tons of plastic ended up in U.S. landfills. Help reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in landfills by recycling your empty supplement bottles.
Common Side Effects When Starting Probiotics
In general, probiotics do not cause any significant side effects, have been clinically studied for decades and are generally regarded as safe. At the same time, probiotics can affect everyone differently. Its common to experience some mild stomach upset, gas, or bloating when you first start taking probiotics. Some experts believe these fleeting symptoms are a result of the bad bacteria dying off in the new healthier environment. If your symptoms are bothersome, try avoiding inflammatory foods and load up on anti-inflammatory antioxidants instead.
If symptoms continue, its possible that you are taking bacterial strains that may not be compatible with your system. You may want to try a different combination of probiotics that are in line with your health goals. While this process would take a little time and trial and error to find a match, it will be worth it for supporting your microbiome and overall well-being.
Remember, take care of your probiotics and they will take care of you!
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How To Choose Probiotics For Your Dog
Depending on how long your dog has been a member of your family, you might be very familiar with their tastes and preferences. Knowing those preferences can help you pick the right probiotic to give them. For example, if your dog refuses to take pills, then you know that a probiotic capsule is most likely out of the question.
Another thing to consider when choosing the right probiotic for your dog is the type of beneficial bacteria it contains. Ideally, the packaging will list the strains of bacteria found in the probiotic and will include a description of the reported benefits of those strains. Its important to remember that it might take some trial and error when it comes to choosing the right type for your dog. If you try one probiotic formula and its not helpful, another might be. Always talk to your dogs vet first before trying a new type of probiotic, though.
One last thing to remember when choosing a probiotic for your pet: Make sure the probiotic actually contains live bacteria. The packaging should state how many bacteria will still be alive by the end of the products shelf life. Some products state how many bacteria were alive at the beginning, but theres a chance that the microorganisms could die while the probiotic sits on a stores shelf. Also look for a use by or expiration date to make sure the probiotic will still be viable.
What Happens If You Take Expired Probiotics
Taking a nutritional supplement past its expiration date wont harm you. But they do lose their potency after they expire and, therefore, their effectiveness. For certain types of supplements, its best to throw out old ones. In Canada, supplement manufacturers are required to include expiry dates on labels.
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How To Store Your Probiotic
Lets remember, probiotics are made up of living organisms, and as such, they will survive longer when kept in a cool, dry environment. Your kitchen or bathroom cabinet is a good spot. Look for probiotics that are packaged in amber or dark color glass. This helps to protect them from moisture and light damage. And you may want to reconsider keeping your probiotics stored in your day-of-the-week pill organizer. We know there are some cool organizers on Amazon, but they could compromise the effectiveness of your probiotics, if they are exposed to light, temperature changes, and humidity. Best practice is to only keep a few days of servings in a portable pill caddy at a time. Refill from the bottle stored in a dry, cool, environment.3
Some probiotics need to be refrigerated, but if possible, choose a probiotic that is shelf stable, meaning they can be safely stored at room temperature, and do not require refrigeration. This makes your life a little easier, and also makes it more convenient for you to take your probiotics when you travel .
What Is The Best Probiotic To Give My Dog
Best Overall: Purina Fortiflora Canine Nutritional Supplement Box. Purina Fortiflora Canine Nutritional Supplement comes in pre-measured packets and is one of the easiest and most popular ways to ensure that your dog is getting a daily dose of probiotics, which is why its our top pick.
What probiotics can I give my dog?
Types of Probiotics for Dogs Species-specific strains include Enterococcus faecium and Bacillus coagulans. Other probiotic strains that have helped improve stool quality and consistency in dogs include Bifidobacterium animalis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus.
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Disposal Of Expired Vitamins
Take an inventory of your vitamin stash. If you discover any expired bottles, dispose of them properly. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends the following steps to dispose of expired vitamins or other supplements:
The EPA does not recommend flushing expired vitamins down the toilet. The substances may pass through wastewater treatment plants and end up in lakes, rivers, or other sources of drinking water.
Can You Throw Away Supplements
Dont put vitamins in the trash can or put them in a garbage bag. Animals and small children can get into your trash if they are loose. Old vitamins shouldnt be given to children or pets. Vitamins are a good source of vitamins A, D, E, K, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid. They are also good sources of selenium, copper, manganese, zinc, vitamin B12, folic acid and vitamin D.
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Side Effects Of Taking Expired Vitamins
As research indicates that expired vitamins are typically safe to take, these products are unlikely to cause side effects just because they are out of date.
However, if a person is unaware that their supplement has expired, they may believe that they are consuming more nutrients than they really are.
For example, a person on a vegan diet may need to take a vitamin B-12 supplement regularly to stay healthy. Taking an expired supplement may mean that they are not getting enough of the vitamin.
A vitamin B-12 deficiency can cause complications such as shortness of breath, depression, and neurological problems. Overall, if a person relies on a supplement to fill a gap in their diet, they should keep track of the supplements expiration date.
Another example involves folic acid during pregnancy. Expired folic acid supplements may not deliver enough folate to the woman and the developing baby. Consuming enough folic acid is important during pregnancy, as it of birth abnormalities.
Vitamin supplements can cause side effects, though this is unlikely to relate to their expiration. Anyone who experiences adverse effects of a nonessential supplement should stop taking it.
Is It Safe To Take Vitamins After The Expiration Date
If youre like most Americans, your cupboards contain an array of supplements. A2018 survey showed that 75% of U.S. residents are consuming some sort of dietary supplement, whether it be a probiotic, fish oil or multivitamin.
You may spend a considerable amount of time deciding what type of supplements to take, what brands you want and where to shop for them. Perhaps youve already built up your own collection. But have you ever stopped to think about how long those supplements last? Do vitamins ever expire? And if so, is it safe to consume them beyond the products expiration dates?
We surveyed experts to find out what you should know:
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Can You Take Expired Antibiotics Do They Lose Their Potency And Efficacy
The potency and efficacy of antibiotics or any other medications will start degrading from the point of manufacture. But further testing has been carried out on this.
Ongoing research states that if the right storage conditions are met, medications including antibiotics can retain 90% of their potency for up to as much as 15 years after expiration.
Therefore, it is believed that antibiotics can retain a significant portion of potency for up to 10 years after their expiration date.
The best evidence that antibiotics and other similar medications may retain their potency beyond expiration is the Shelf Life Extension Program undertaken by the FDA for the Department of Defense. This program was carried out to reduce medication costs for the military.
The SLEP program found that around 88% of 122 medications, including antibiotics, retained potency for more than one year. The program determined that the average expiration extension should be 66 months and a maximum extension of 278 months, depending on the medication, of course.
Its also important within the question, can you take expired antibiotics, to add that these antibiotics were stored in optimal storage conditions. These may be different conditions than many people would store them. More on storage shortly.
Key Probiotic Expiration Date Takeaways
- Probiotics beyond their expiration date probably have too little live bacteria to make a clinical difference.
- Store Lactobacillus& Bifidobacterium species in the refrigerator for maximum shelf life.
- Saccharomyces boulardii probiotics and soil-based probiotics may not need refrigeration, but refrigeration may extend their shelf life.
- Be sure to choose probiotic products and brands that are lab test verified to contain the colony-forming units advertised on their label to ensure potency.
- If your probiotic supplement is near or past the expiration date, its probably best to buy a new product to ensure the best clinical effect.
- Either a product manufacture date or an expiration date can help you to determine the potency of a probiotic product .
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How Long Can Yakult Go Unrefrigerated
How long can Yakult be kept after taken out from the fridge? It is not a problem to keep Yakult outside of the fridge for a while, even up to 4-8 hours. The Yakult bacteria will start to become active at temperature between 15 to 40 and will slowly begin to die after that as they run out of nutrients to stay alive.
Are Expired Antibiotics Toxic
Decades ago, a handful of cases were reported with expired oral antibiotic tetracycline causing toxic reactions.
This is where a reversible form of kidney damage called Fanconi syndrome was identified in patients who took oral antibiotic tetracycline after it expired.
Many believe this toxicity could have resulted from tetracycline degradation products .
These patients also suffered from nausea, vomiting, and metabolic acidosis within 2 to 8 days of taking the expired antibiotic. However, no such toxic cases with expired oral antibiotic tetracycline or related antibiotics, such as doxycycline, have been reported lately.
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All About Probiotic Shelf Life
Expiration dates on your probiotic supplements may have you afraid to use them for fear of digestive health side effects. Good quality probiotic supplements contain live bacteria, and expired products may have less than or none of the advertised amount.
The good news is that expired probiotic capsules wont hurt you, though theylikely wont give you the probiotichealth benefits you were hoping for.
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Can Old Probiotics Make You Sick
Because microbes used as probiotics already exist naturally in your body, probiotic foods and supplements are generally considered safe. They may trigger allergic reactions, and may also cause mild stomach upset, diarrhea, or flatulence and bloating for the first few days after starting to take them.
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Can You Take Expired Antibiotics Heres When You Can
Wondering if you can take expired antibiotics? You arent the first to ask this question. So, heres the guide on can you take expired antibiotics, along with reasons and suggestions.
But first, heres a quick response to get you some important information, then well cover more of the details.
Can you take expired antibiotics? 90% of the potency and efficacy of antibiotics can be retained 5 years from the expiration date if stored correctly. But like other medications, antibiotics do expire. Potency can remain for solid forms of antibiotics. However, taking expired antibiotics, unless for an emergency, is not safe and may be toxic.
According to the FDA, medications, including antibiotics, do expire, and expiration dates hold an important meaning that should not be ignored.
Because of this, the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research officially recommends that medications, including antibiotics past their expiration date, should be disposed of.
An expiry date is a point at which the drug manufacturers have tested the potency, efficacy, and safety of the medication towards a relevant health condition.
This also means that the drug manufacturers have tested the use of antibiotics only up to the printed expiration date and cannot guarantee their effectiveness beyond that point.
We cannot stress enough that the antibiotic may not be safe to use beyond the printed expiry date and is unlikely to provide the expected results.
Are Expired Supplements Safe To Take
It is not recommended to take supplements past their expiration date. In most cases, taking an expired supplement will not result in any adverse effects. However, its always best to err on the side of caution. If a supplement has changed colors, has an unusual odor, or has grown mold, refrain from taking it. If you have questions regarding the safety or efficacy of taking a supplement beyond its expiration date, consider speaking with your integrative healthcare provider or call the number of the supplement manufacturer, which is usually found on the products label, for further guidance.
Did you know? Dietary supplements lose potency over time. Taking expired supplements may not cause harm, but they may not provide the desired effect.
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Is It Ok To Use Expired Probiotics
Its not unsafe or dangerous to take them they simply wont be as potent as they were before the expiry date. Some ingredients, though, are fragile and break down quickly after a products expiration date. Probiotic supplements, made from live bacteria and yeasts, will be far less potent once expired.
How To Use Adult Probiotic
Follow all directions on the product package. Refer to the label directions for your specific product to see if the dose should be swallowed whole, chewed, sprinkled onto food or mixed with liquid. If you are using the liquid form of this medication, carefully measure the dose using a special measuring device/spoon. Do not use a household spoon because you may not get the correct dose. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Some probiotic products may contain live bacteria . Antibiotics may prevent these products from working well. Take any product containing live bacteria at least 2 to 3 hours before or after taking antibiotics. Follow the directions for your specific product.
If you are taking this product for diarrhea due to antibiotics, do not use it if you have a high fever or for more than 2 days, unless directed by your doctor. You may have a serious problem that requires medical treatment.
If your condition persists or worsens, or if you think you may have a serious medical problem, seek immediate medical attention.
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Can I Flush Expired Supplements Down The Toilet
Both the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the FDA advise not to flush expired or unused supplements down the toilet. Doing so can contaminate sewage systems, which then passes through waste-water plants, where it later may end up in rivers, lakes, and other parts of the water supply.
