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throwing out supplements

aquariusgirl

Senior Member
Messages
1,732
hi, i hate to throw out stuff.. but i have a stock of aging supplements.

so what do y'all think? if supplements are past their sell by date... should they go?

Oils go rancid right? so if I have DHA or EPA beyond their expiration date ..they should go i assume?

what about b vits?

i have some probiotic powder...expiration 2011? no brainer right?

help me bite the bullet ...thanks
 

*GG*

senior member
Messages
6,389
Location
Concord, NH
hi, i hate to throw out stuff.. but i have a stock of aging supplements.

so what do y'all think? if supplements are past their sell by date... should they go?

Oils go rancid right? so if I have DHA or EPA beyond their expiration date ..they should go i assume?

what about b vits?

i have some probiotic powder...expiration 2011? no brainer right?

help me bite the bullet ...thanks

A sell by date, doesn't sound like it has an expiration date. Does it make you feel worse when you take it? (upset stomach of etc..?). I would still take it, unless I know that it somehow upset my body in a manner that is not usual!

Again, with probiotic, try taking it, if you haven't already, and see if it bothers you, if not, why not take it?

GG

PS I remember reading a while back on how the military was looking at how long it truly took for things to "expire" in regards to medications. Because military people are on medications also, and if we have a major collapse in society, drug makers could possibly not be up and running, so they need to know!
 

Undisclosed

Senior Member
Messages
10,157
"Best by" dates are a suggestion by manufacturers of the date their stuff is the freshest until. I think there are websites that give dates of when you absolutely shouldn't take something -- some things you can safely keep for ages, others not so much. I guess a lot of it depends on where the supplements have been stored, how they have been stored etc, etc. Also you could look for discoloration, odd odors etc.
 

maryb

iherb code TAK122
Messages
3,602
Location
UK
I think a lot of stuff is probably okay a while after the expiry date. One thing I do know is that Doxycycline should not be taken after the expiry date. But I guess you're only talking about supplements. many of us do have a/biotics in our cupboards as well though so maybe not a good idea to keep those in general.
 

alex3619

Senior Member
Messages
13,810
Location
Logan, Queensland, Australia
I have periodically had to throw many supplements. If stored in a fridge they can last much longer than the expiry date suggests. The first to go, always, should be anything oil based. Oil rancidifies rapidly, so old oil is the most likely thing to cause issues. Dried protein, if its air sealed, is probably OK, but a tub of whey protein that has been open to the air probably isn't OK if its too old. Most mineral supplements though will probably outlast the container they are in.

Probiotics such as acidophilus are living organisms. As time goes on the effectiveness will diminish until its pointless to take it anyway.
 

Allyson

Senior Member
Messages
1,684
Location
Australia, Melbourne
hi, i hate to throw out stuff.. but i have a stock of aging supplements.

so what do y'all think? if supplements are past their sell by date... should they go?

Oils go rancid right? so if I have DHA or EPA beyond their expiration date ..they should go i assume?

what about b vits?

i have some probiotic powder...expiration 2011? no brainer right?

help me bite the bullet ...thanks
I never know - use by dates are really for cottage cheese

if stored in the dark and kept col maybe some are OK
Ally
 

justy

Donate Advocate Demonstrate
Messages
5,524
Location
U.K
I just did this the other day and decided to throw out everything that was past sell by/expiry date, unless it said 2014 sometime AND I was actually using it.

I had bottles of supplements with 2011 on that were recommended by Dr Myhill that I couldn't tolerate and have never really taken. I thought about trying them now I am a bit better, but to be honest I cant cope with the whole trying to take supplements again - at least not until my gut feels better.

I felt liberated and lightened from the burden of thinking I HAD to take them at some point and go through tht whole process of worrying about adverse reactions (common with me) so actually for me it was good, and now I no longer have to look at the overflowing box in my cupboard that made me feel guilty every time I saw it.