Slimming Today

Using a bathroom shelf for vitamin storage is a bad idea, a new study shows.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—If you store your vitamins or supplements in a bathroom cabinet or kitchen cupboard, it’s time to find another spot. That’s because temperature and humidity changes in those rooms may be degrading their potency and effectiveness, according to a new study.

THE DETAILS: Finding the right place for vitamin storage is more than a matter of convenience or space. Crystalline-type substances such as vitamin C, some types of vitamin B, and other dietary supplements are susceptible to a process called deliquescence (deh-lee-KWEH-cents). Which is when humidity causes a water-soluble solid to dissolve. As shown in new research, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, deliquescence can happen when you open and close the bottle cap on your favorite vitamin over weeks and months.

Each time that bottle is opened, humidity and temperature fluctuate inside the container, which eventually degrades the vitamin. “The humidity in your kitchen and bathroom can get quite high,” says Purdue University food science professor Lisa Mauer, PhD, a coauthor of the study. “Depending on how long your shower lasts, for example, bathroom humidity can reach 98 percent.”

WHAT IT MEANS: To determine if your vitamins may be deliquescing, look closely for any moisture inside the container. Tiny water droplets or sticky pills are a sign of condensation, which could mean nutrient degradation has occurred. Another sign of it is if you see small brown spots on your vitamins, says Mauer, which happens most commonly with kids’ vitamins. They’re still safe, but they probably lack the potency they once had, and should be tossed.

Professor Mauer’s tips for proper vitamin storage:

• Keep ‘em cool and dry. “In high heat and humidity, vitamin degradation can take as little as a day,” says Mauer. So store vitamin C, multivitamins, chewables, and children’s formulations in the driest conditions you have available. A dark, cool, dry pantry is a better spot than a bathroom or kitchen.

• Use a pill dispenser. By putting each dose in its own compartment, you cut down on the number of times each vitamin gets exposed to humidity.

• Beware the big jars. Even in the best conditions, vitamin C may only last about three months before significant degradation occurs, says Mauer. Economy-size containers sometimes contain enough pills to last for six to 12 months, so if you buy in bulk, store the remaining pills in the freezer (it’s drier than a fridge, and freezing won’t hurt the vitamins). Transfer the vitamins to a smaller container as you work your way through them.

From>> http://www.rodale.com/vitamin-storage?page=0%2C1&cm_mmc=DailyNewsNL-_-2010_03_19-_-Top5-_-NA