Makes the medicine go down

Taking vitamins and avoiding candy are two old-school commandments. But what happens when you combine the two? In search of answers, we enlisted Andrea Ronning, registered dietitian and supervisor of clinical nutrition services at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia to comment on a few sweets that purport to be health food in disguise.—Emily Weiner

Vitaball

Claim Gum balls that offer 100 percent of your RDV of ten vitamins

Ingredients Vitamins A, C, D, and E—but also sucrose and artificial colors and flavors

Flavor Standard cherry, grape and watermelon

Dosage One per day

Medical opinion “The vitamins are good for you, but the gum balls would be even better without the additives,” says Ronning. “Plus, there are no minerals.” $8 for a pack of 36, vitaball.com

Sankom

Claim These fiber nuggets improve digestion and reduce weight by “creating a feeling of fullness.”

Ingredients An insoluble-fiber blend, vitamins A, C and E, magnesium and sugar

Flavor A less-tangy riff on Starbursts, in cherry, grapefruit, peach and strawberry varieties

Dosage Four per day

Medical opinion “The small amount of fiber they contain isn’t going to make you feel full enough to stop eating. But they will give you more nutritional bang for your buck than a simple piece of candy.” $4 per box (12 nougats), sankom.us

Frutels

Claim Sugar-free gummy candy that purports to treat the internal causes of acne

Ingredients B complex (for stress), vitamins E (for hormone balancing) and C (for immunity), and zinc (wound healing)

Flavor Grape-y snacks that smell like Centrum

Dosage Two daily

Medical opinion “Nobody knows what the root cause of acne really is, and although we have an inkling that zinc helps in wound healing, there’s no clinical evidence to support it.” $6 per pack, one-month supply $25; frutels.com

Yummi Bears

ClaimGummies that provide a multivitamin and mineral supplement

Ingredients Vitamins A, C, D and E, minerals like zinc and iodine, cane juice, natural colors and natural fruit flavors

Flavor Real gummy candy, but less sweet

Dosage Three or four daily

Medical opinion “For overall health, they’re a good multivitamin,” she explains. “But you’d have to make sure you were getting calcium elsewhere, since these bears contain only a tiny amount.” 90-pack $8, vitaminshoppe.com

Adora

Claim These chocolate nuggets deliver easily digested calcium

Ingredients Vitamins D (aids in absorption) and K (aids in utilization)

Flavor Like Hershey’s Kiss, they come in both dark- and milk-chocolate varieties

Dosage Two daily, with meals

Medical opinion“If you’re lactose intolerant,” says Ronning, “this is a good way to get your calcium. And since two pieces have as much calcium as three eight-ounce glasses of milk, you’ll save on calories, too.” One-month supply $15, adoracalcium.com