Most people will notice a use-by or sell-by date listed on their vitamin or supplement packaging. While this date can give consumers an idea of when it's time to replace their product, it's not exactly an expiration date like the kind you see on food or other perishable items.

"The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not require vitamin supplements to have expiration dates," ophthalmologist Brian Boxer Wachler, M.D., tells mbg. Most companies go through tests to determine how long it will take for their vitamins to lose potency, and that's usually the date you'll see listed.

"Loss of potency can then translate to decreased efficacy or effectiveness,"says Javeed Siddiqui, M.D., MPH, chief medical officer at TeleMed2U.

Are there side effects of taking expired vitamins?

According to Lewis, vitamins generally don't go "bad," the way spoiled milk will. In other words, there are no direct side effects from taking vitamins or supplements past their listed use-by date. Since they're less potent, though, you may not get the necessary health benefits needed from the product.

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