test-Refrigeration of Supplements
Refrigeration of Supplements
Vitamins and Supplements FAQs • June 6, 2012

Question: Is refrigeration of supplements ever bad for them. I usually see "store in a cool, dark place"............sounds like a fridge to me.

 

Actually, a fridge is cold (as opposed to cool) and while it is dark, it is humid (as opposed to “dry” that’s normally recommended). It may be a lesser of two evils kind of situation for people living in Florida or California with no AC, but it certainly isn’t the ideal scenario for most supplements.

There are also certain products were you see "do not refrigerate" on the label, as in the case of some softgels like fish oils. Softgels have seams where if dampened can split and leak. This happens from condensation occurring from taking the bottle out of the fridge, opening it up and allowing warm air in, then putting it back into the fridge where that warm air condenses. Same with a few other more hygroscopic supplements like L-carnitine, where they suck up humidity even at room temps and swell up.

So the answer is… for a few products. Cool dark usually refers to room temperature. A fridge is "cold."

 

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