Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN is a Registered Dietician Nutritionist with a bachelor’s degree in nutrition from Texas Christian University and a master’s in nutrition interventions, communication, and behavior change from Tufts University. She lives in Newport Beach, California, and enjoys connecting people to the food they eat and how it influences health and wellbeing.
August 17, 2023
Anytime you open a new jar of food, you likely know to put it in the refrigerator to keep it fresh before reaching for it again later. That’s food safety 101. But that same line of thinking doesn’t necessarily translate to supplements.
Supplements have specific storage needs—based on the form (i.e. capsules, powders, liquids, etc) and ingredients—to maintain their quality and function until the expiration date. And opting to store them in the fridge as a safeguard can actually be detrimental to the quality of some supplements.
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Since this is a little convoluted, we asked mindbodygreen’s vice president of scientific affairs Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN to break it down.
Should any supplements be stored in the fridge?
“Yes, supplements with use and storage instructions that clearly state the need for refrigeration should always be stored in the fridge,” emphasizes Ferira. Just make sure to read the label carefully.
“The two main categories of supplements that will necessitate refrigeration are liquid formulas and certain probiotics,” notes Ferira.
Liquid supplements will generally come with instructions to refrigerate after opening, and they have a short shelf life of 30 to 90 days typically (versus the two to three years other supplement forms have).
While some probiotic strains and formulations require refrigeration, others absolutely do not. Some probiotics (like mindbodygreen’s probiotic+) are designed to be shelf-stable. And if that’s the case refrigerating them can mess with the quality, stability, and active ingredients in the supplement.
And remember, probiotics deliver live microorganisms to help colonize the gut, so storing the supplement incorrectly can (inadvertently) create an environment that those organisms can’t survive in.
“The supplements that do not explicitly state the need for refrigeration in their use or storage instructions should never be refrigerated,” says Ferira. “It’s delightfully black and white.”
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So, what’s generally the best way to store supplements?
Most supplements should be stored in a cool, dry, and dark place.
Cool refers to an indoor temperature ranging from 50℉ to the mid-70s. Oftentimes a bedside table or a pantry meets these criteria. But, each home is different.
Ferira just recommends avoiding storing supplements in the following settings:
Near high temperatures (like on a window sill or near a stove or oven)
In high humidity (like bathroom, above the dishwasher, or near an open window or screen)
In direct sunlight (this impacts heat and the UV rays may damage the supplement’s active ingredients)
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And no matter where you store them, “always screw the cap back on tightly between use,” says Ferira. “This limits the (capsules, softgels, tablets, powders, etc) to oxygen exposure, which leads to oxidation.”
The takeaway
Properly storing your supplements is essential to making sure they remain in their most active form so that they can have the desired effect in your body. Unless the specific supplement you bought calls it out, the fridge isn’t a good place to keep your supplements.
