Tidied out my medicine cabinet (how ever did I end up with a full bag full of stuff ) and found supplements, some not even opened ( ) but unfortunately out of date.

The question now is, can I still take them, accepting that their strength has diminished or should I rather chuck them?

What I have is:
MSM, Zinc (best before 2009)
Quercetin, Glucosamine (best before 2010)
Slippery Elm (best before 2011)

Thanks!

Hi Yvonne - Note the words "best before" not "use by" so I would take them as normal.

Of what I was told repeatedly, incl. by doctors, I understand that as a rule supps are good until 6 months after the "best before" date noted on the label.  Usually both month and year are noted, while you mentioned only the year.  Anyhow, according to this all three have expired by now.

Herbals are more likely to go 'bad'. Vitamins diminish in value.

I have always treated mineral supplements as good even years after the 'best by' date.

Look at the ingredients. The safest thing is always to toss 'em.

If you can afford to replace them, I wouldn't risk it. You'll never be certain if you're actually taking the vitamins you think you're taking, or if you're actually getting much lower effective doses. Nor do you know if any ingredients (including "inert" ingredients) may have degraded into something harmful.

I think its worth restating.

use by means "use by"

Best before means "best before" not use by!

I assume there are only a few bottles or probably one of each - I would use them.

unless of course you have never eaten an avoid in your life, what's the worst that could happen.

worst case try one and see how it feels...

I wouldn't personally be concerned about those that you mentioned.  I have a container of MSM that I've had for 3 years because I use it so seldom.  But I still do, occasionally.  The other two may diminish in potency but I don't see how they would become toxic.  

just my opinion - I'm not advising you to do what I do.

Quoted from Victoria

I wouldn't personally be concerned about those that you mentioned.  I have a container of MSM that I've had for 3 years because I use it so seldom.  But I still do, occasionally.  The other two may diminish in potency but I don't see how they would become toxic.  

just my opinion - I'm not advising you to do what I do.

That was kinda my idea as well- I had more containers that i did toss, because of the type of supplement they were (vitamin E for one! Not recommended for Hunters anyway ).
Wasn't sure about the MSM, but I am with Lloyd on the mineral ones, so thought the zinc should be fine.

What do you take the MSM for?

Quoted from yvonneb

(vitamin E for one! Not recommended for Hunters anyway ).

Oils do go rancid. For example, I would not take old fish oil. Some things (like E) may be in an oil base.

Quoted from yvonneb

What do you take the MSM for?

Back when I used to have chronic joint pain - arthritis, old injuries, side effects of surgeries - I would take MSM daily to help with that.  Mostly I never have joint discomfort anymore since I've fine-tuned my diet.  And I get more benefit and quicker too, from Boswellia.  But if I wanted to take the MSM, I wouldn't hesitate to do so.

Do you know what pharmaceutical companies do with unsold medicines? Mainly dry pills that have not gotten wet or moist. They send them to foreign countries and take a charity tax write off. Liquids area different story they do separate and go bad. Herbal supplements and tinctures actuallydo not go bad either. Especially those in an alcohol base. I won't say how old some of my supplements are. Stored properly they are fine.

I ate a unibar yesterday that was 2 years out of date. found in a cupboard. yummy. I like a fine wine

Quoted from Victoria

Back when I used to have chronic joint pain - arthritis, old injuries, side effects of surgeries - I would take MSM daily to help with that.  Mostly I never have joint discomfort anymore since I've fine-tuned my diet.  And I get more benefit and quicker too, from Boswellia.  But if I wanted to take the MSM, I wouldn't hesitate to do so.

Victoria! This is so good to hear that my joint pains will one day go away if I stay true to my Swami!  How long did it take may I ask and did your joint issues go hand in hand with your bowel troubles?  Also I might try that Boswellia.    Thanks for your testimonial comment...

here I only can say... I'll join Victoria's statement    dito Lloyd's we've to take care about rancid oils and the effective substance might be less.... but I won't go further then 3-5 years....

The potency diminishes 5% for each year. I would take the ones you mentioned and not anything with oil unless they were in the freezer which I've done before.  

I've taken things a few years old. Once I saw something 10 years past date & it was deteriorating.  I would think that oily things would be more dangerous being several years old. I have taken old vitamins & feel they are OK. It's no big deal if they lose some potency.
As an O, I don't take too many herbs. Even before I knew about BTD, herbs didn't work too well for me.
We are such a wasteful & litigious society, so we get overly cautious about dates.
I also have heard that many products automatically put 2 years ahead as the date. For some products, it is cutting it close & for others, they could go for years after the date.

Quoted from policychecker

I ate a unibar yesterday that was 2 years out of date. found in a cupboard. yummy. I like a fine wine

Thanks for the laugh, PC!! I think many expiration dates are overrated.

I just threw out a bunch of food with 'best used before' dates on them.  i had 3 bags of dried dates and some cream of rice cereal.  

i kind of get afraid of eating old grains because when i was a kid i saw some little bugs in some old grains that were in the cupboard.  how did they get in there?  must have been in there before the bad was sealed?