THIS IS WHAT YOU PAID FOR

When you take a 1,000-milligram dose of vitamin C, less than half of it is absorbed by the body, according to a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Lypo-Spheric Vitamin C ($52.95 for 30 sachets, at LivOnLabs.com) improves that number, thanks to an encapsulation technology that wraps the water-soluble antioxidant in liposomes, a type of phospholipid (the stuff our cell membranes are made of). It’s effective, but fair warning: It doesn’t taste pleasant. Your best bet: Drop the gel into a shot-glass-size amount of OJ and shoot it back like an oyster.