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If you're storing your health and nutrition supplement in the presence of high humidity, specifically the bathroom and kitchen, your supplements could degrade even if the lids are on tight.

According to a new study from Purdue University, crystalline substances – including vitamins and other health supplements – are susceptible to a process called deliquescence, a process where humidity causes solids to dissolve.

Deliquescence is most commonly found when humidity causes salt or sugar to cake and form clumps. When applied to nutrition supplements, the ingredients dissolve and chemical instabilities occur which decreases the quality and shelf life of the products. They don't become unsafe to take, they just become less effective.

Published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the researchers used a gravimetric moisture sorption balance to test the humidity levels at which the supplements would deliquesce. The samples increased in weight at the deliquesence point as moisture was condensing on the solid and dissolving it. Once the temperature and humidity normalized, the products solidified yet the damage was not reversible.

The spikes in humidity often found in bathrooms and kitchens can be detrimental to your supplements even with the lid on most of the time. Even if you add a little bit of humidity every time you open the bottle, bit by bit, the product will start to degrade.

Storing your nutrition supplements in cool, dry places to ensure that your supplements maintain their strength and efficacy. If you notice browning of your supplements, it may be a sign of deliquescence affecting your products.