Make Me Well

An acclaimed physician and BBC broadcaster embarks upon a globe-spanning journey to investigate the wellness industrial complex, sorting the reality from the intentionally fuzzy sales pitch—so you don’t have to.

What’s the difference between a supplement and a drug? How does marketing influence our medical choices? How do we decide who to trust? And what does this all mean for your health?

There has never been a more confusing time to take care of ourselves. With an open mind but a healthy dose of skepticism, Dr. Xand van Tulleken dives deep into the world of wellness—from supplements and herbalism to wearable tech, full-body MRIs in search of a disease, and the burgeoning pursuit of personalization and longevity, to answer the question – do they really work? 

In an investigation that combines history, science, and first-person reporting, Dr. Xand takes us on a global journey to understand the evolution of a new kind of “snake oil.” From Utah, the U.S. hub of supplement production, to China, the ground zero of collagen industrialization, to Spain at the world’s largest gathering of Nutraceutical manufacturers, Dr. Xand brings his distinctive and personable voice along with a genuine sense of inquiry to examine how the “wellness” industry positioned itself to rival conventional medicine—and whether it is winning, at the expense of our health.

Both compelling reportage and a practical guide for twenty-first-century living, Make Me Well? empowers readers to separate evidence from illusion and offers simple, humane rules for true wellness from a doctor who needed to sort out the confusion for himself too.