A deep dive into the wellness industry, covering supplements, wearable technology, consumer genomics, and more -- full of original reporting, colourful characters and actionable answers to individual health questions. There has never been a more confusing time to try to be healthy. In the past decade, the healthcare sector has witnessed a remarkable surge in innovation: drug design, genomics and diagnostic technology have all changed almost beyond recognition. Simultaneously, there has been a significant expansion in consumer health services, including the supplement industry, blood testing, consumer genomics and wearable technology, which claim to improve \"wellness\" (emphasising physical and mental performance and longevity) rather than curing or preventing specific disease states. For a typical consumer this is both confusing, as the health and wellness industries are almost indistinguishable, and expensive, as consumer health emphasises personalised products, often sold on a subscription basis. In Make Me Well, Xand van Tulleken investigates the new Wild West of the wellness industry, demystifying a landscape dominated by three products: supplements, blood testing, and wearable technology. In doing so, he shines a light on how people can take care of themselves better in this new and overwhelming world of wellness.

Details

ISBN13: 9781529961041
Format: Paperback / softback
Number of Pages: 400
Edition:
Publication Date: 08 Sep 2026
Publisher: Cornerstone
Publication City, Country: United Kingdom
Dimensions (cm): 23.4(H)x15.2(L)x3.1(W)
Weight (gm):

Author Biography

Xand van Tulleken is a doctor, broadcaster and presenter who practised in acute medicine in the NHS for a decade. He trained at Oxford, Harvard and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and is now an Honorary Associate Professor at University College London. His academic work has focussed on humanitarian assistance and global health and has taken him to crises in Myanmar, Uganda and Sudan. As one of the BBC's leading broadcasters for children and adults, his work has won two BAFTAs. He lives in East Sussex with his wife and two (occasionally three) children.

Reviews

This book is actually useful. Timely and thorough, it tells us what’s what. -- Tim Key
A much-needed an injection of hard science into the booming global wellness industry. With the deep erudition of an actual doctor, the urgent prose of a proper public intellectual, and the story-telling nous of one of our greatest communicators, Xand van Tulleken's MAKE ME WELL has demolished several shoddy shibboleths and pointed the way to a better, happier, healthier life. I cannot think of a more valuable public service. And frankly I will never look at a vitamin supplement, longevity 'hack', or collagen dose the same way again. -- Amol Rajan
If anyone can drag the wellness industry into the light and make you laugh while doing it, it’s Xand van Tulleken. Beautifully researched, clear-eyed and very funny — essential reading for anyone who’s ever scrolled past a wellness miracle wondering whether any of it actually works. A generous guide to an industry that depends on us not asking too many questions. -- Hannah Fry
Make Me Well made me laugh, made me angry -- and ultimately made me feel better informed about my health. A deeply researched tour of a multibillion dollar industry that's more nutritious than any supplement you've ever seen advertised on a podcast. And he's made it funny, too. Put down your multivitamins and read this at once. -- Helen Lewis
[A] revelatory and eminently accessible book. -- Caroline Sanderson * Bookseller Non-Fiction pick *
In this accessible, illuminating read, the doctor and broadcaster separates fact from fiction. * iNews *
Digs into everything from the supposed benefits of vitamin D supplements and turmeric tablets to wearable health technology, blood tests and so-called anti-ageing pills. [van Tulleken] finds that the claims made for the above mostly don't stand up to hard science ... This can't be documented too many times as we face an extraordinary surge in innovation, transforming drug design, genomics and diagnostics that yields ever more complexity and confusion. So how do we stay healthy, facing such an onslaught -- and naked corporate greed? Quite likely, we could do worse than start here. * New Scientist *