Are Vitamins Toxic?

Are Vitamins Poisonous? Vitamins Can Become Harmful Instead of Beneficial If Storage Conditions Are Not Observed ANKARA (AA)- BURCU ÇALIK- Nurten Saydan, General Secretary of the Turkish Pharmacists' Employers' Union (TEİS), warned that vitamins, which have become popular due to reasons such as the Covid-19 pandemic and cold weather, can cause harm instead of benefit and increase the risk of poisoning if sold outside pharmacies without adhering to storage conditions, despite being food supplements. TEİS General Secretary Saydan emphasized that medicines must be stored according to the usage instructions and the conditions specified on the box to maintain their effectiveness, noting that they should be kept in a medicine cabinet or a glass cabinet. Pointing out that this cabinet should be placed in a secluded, cool, dry location away from sunlight, Saydan stated: "If the instruction 'store at room temperature' is present, keep your medicines in their original packaging in places that are away from sunlight, cool, not humid, and with temperatures not exceeding 25 degrees Celsius. Most importantly, they should be placed at a height where children cannot reach them and should be locked if possible. Medicines should also be kept away from humid and hot places." he warned. Emphasizing that medicines must be kept in their boxes both to prevent mixing and to protect them from light, Saydan stated that patients must consult with a pharmacist about possible interactions with other foods and substances, side effects, and whether medicines can be chewed, divided, or dissolved in water.

The Refrigerator Is Not a Medicine Cabinet

Saydan pointed out that storing medicines on refrigerator shelves is among the most common mistakes, saying: "The refrigerator is not a medicine cabinet. We know that fever-reducing medicines, cough syrups, and vitamin syrups are most commonly and incorrectly stored in refrigerators. Never store your medicines in the refrigerator unless they specifically require refrigeration. Because the active ingredients in some syrups settle at the bottom, and equal amounts of medicine are not taken with each dose. This affects the treatment process. Similarly, the active ingredients in tablet-form medicines stored in the refrigerator can also deteriorate. If your medicine's packaging states that it should be stored between 2-8 degrees Celsius, you need to store these medicines in a refrigerator, which is a cold environment. During dispensing of such medicines from the pharmacy, they will be given to you along with an ice pack to prevent damage during transport. Medicines given by pharmacists along with an ice pack and labeled 'to be placed in the refrigerator' should never be placed in the freezer compartment or near the freezer. Because in this way the medicines freeze and their entire structure is damaged, and if such an error is made, the medicines should not be used."