Functional Solutions For Living

Greetings everyone! Today I would like to briefly discus the proper storage of supplements. Specifically, I would like to discuss where not to store supplements.

Generally, the rule of thumb is to follow the instructions on the container.

If you look, many supplements instruct you to store them in a cool, dry place. I agree and would add to that, out of direct light. This is for a good reason.

Another thing to consider, one that many of us overlook, is the fact that much of what we are now calling supplements are actually food. That is great news but that being the case, we need to be mindful of how, where and for how long we store them.

This is especially important for items that require refrigeration to avoid spoiling or going rancid. These include but are not limited to: superjuices, certain nuts and seeds, seed and nut powders and butters, and certain oils such as flax or fish oil.

Another reason for refrigeration is to avoid loss of potency. Many probiotics and all superjuices would fall into this category.

Okay, now I want to discuss where you should never store your supplements.

Anyone care to take a guess?

If you said the bathroom, you are correct!

I don’t like to use the word never, so I will back down a bit and say you should really avoid storing your supplements in the bathroom.

I travel quite a bit and have noticed from staying in the homes of friends, family and others that it is a common practice for many people to keep their vitamins and other supplements in the bathroom, usually the medicine cabinet if they have one.

Bad idea!

According to Lisa Mauer, a food scientist at Purdue University, we should never store our vitamins in the bathroom. She warns that the strong humidity can eliminate their benefits by chemically changing their composition…even if the lids are on tight.

“Opening and closing a package will change the atmosphere in it. If you open and close a package in a bathroom, you add a little bit of humidity and moisture each time.”

Mauer said crystalline substances — including vitamin C, some forms of vitamin B and other dietary supplements — may undergo deliquescence, a process in which humidity causes the water-soluble solid to dissolve similar to how sugar cakes in the summer.

According to Maur, once humidity or temperature is brought back down, the product will solidify, but the damage has been done. Depending on how long a person takes a shower, the humidity of the bathroom can go as high as 98 percent.

Mauer’s findings were published in the online version of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Like I stated, it is best to follow the directions on the container. If it is unlabeled such as the case with many bulk items or you are uncertain, look it up.

Let’s face it, investing in our health is investing in our happiness. Everything in life depends on it. Without it we have nothing.

That being the case, we invest in it but we invest in it wisely. That especially includes our time and money.

Storing our supplements and foods in ways that preserve their integrity and effectiveness is investing wisely.

Storing our supplements and foods in ways that cause them to lose their potency and therefore their effectiveness or in ways that cause them to go bad and have to be thrown into the trash or the compost is not!

It’s your time, your money and most importantly, your health…

Invest wisely!

Until next time…

Kind Regards,
A