Vitamins stored in bathrooms and kitchens may become less effective.

[Darryl Shaw]

Well this sucks, I mean is there anyone who doesn't keep their vitamins or supplements in either the kitchen or the bathroom?

Vitamins stored in bathrooms, kitchens may become less effective.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - High humidity present in bathrooms and kitchens could be degrading the vitamins and health supplements stored in those rooms, even if the lids are on tight, a Purdue University study shows.

Lisa Mauer, an associate professor of food science, said that crystalline substances - including vitamin C, some vitamin B forms and other dietary supplements - are prone to a process called deliquescence, in which humidity causes a water-soluble solid to dissolve. Keeping those supplements away from warm, humid environments can help ensure their effectiveness.

"You might see salt or sugar start to cake in the summer, start to form clumps, and that's a sign of deliquescence," said Mauer, whose findings were published in the early online version of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. "You can also get chemical instabilities, which are a little more problematic if you're consuming a dietary supplement with vitamin C for that vitamin C content."

Kitchen salt, sugar and powdered drink mixes commonly cake, Mauer said, making their measurement more difficult but not rendering them useless. Chemical changes become more than a nuisance in vitamins and dietary supplements, however.

"If you get some moisture present or ingredients dissolve, they'll decrease the quality and shelf life of the product and decrease the nutrient delivery," Mauer said. "You can get complete loss of the ingredients. It depends on the conditions. It depends on the formulations. Within a very short time - in a week - you can get complete loss of vitamin C in some products that have deliquesced."

http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/resea...quescence.html

[Allen Yeh]

Geez. Where else would I put my vitamins, the garage?

[Steven Low]

Originally Posted by Allen Yeh

Geez. Where else would I put my vitamins, the garage?

I have mine on my desk right in front of the computer so I remember to take them.

[Scott Kustes]

I have mine in the freezer, so the humidity isn't an issue.

[Garrett Smith]

Um, how exactly does a kitchen get more humid than the rest of the house exactly?

The bathroom makes sense.

[Mike ODonnell]

I like to keep mine where they belong....already in the food.

[Brian Stone]

Originally Posted by Mike ODonnell

I like to keep mine where they belong....already in the food.

That's fine so long as you don't keep your food in the kitchen.


Or the bathroom...

[Tony Ferous]

lol. Nice one Brian.