Xand van Tulleken publishes first solo book on wellness myths
TV doctor Xand van Tulleken has published his first proper solo book, Make Me Well. The Guardian published its review on 16 October 2026. Its headline called the book 'an eye-opening takedown of wellness myths' The Guardian.
Van Tulleken is known to viewers as a TV doctor. He is also described as a Bafta-winning broadcaster BikeRadar. He is the twin brother of Chris van Tulleken. Chris is the author of Ultra-Processed People, a book about the food industry The Guardian.
The full title is Make Me Well: A Quest to Understand the Confusing World of Wellness Somerville College, Oxford. Penguin Books lists Make Me Well on its website as a book by Xand van Tulleken Penguin Books. The publisher describes it as an investigation into what it calls the new Wild West of the wellness industry. That phrase points to a market with light rules and loud claims.
The Guardian describes the book as his first proper solo book. In publishing, that credit means one author takes the lead name on the cover and spine. It is a simple tag. It tells bookshops whose name to shelve it under.
The book takes aim at a long list. On the supplements side, it examines vitamin D, collagen, testosterone, multivitamins, turmeric and krill oil. Collagen is the protein sold for skin and joints. Turmeric and krill oil are sold as natural health boosters. The book then moves to services and kit. That includes personalised nutrition, or diet advice built around a person's own test results, glucose monitoring for tracking blood sugar, wearable tech such as watches and rings that log steps and sleep, and private blood screening bought outside routine care The Guardian.
Penguin frames the project in plain terms. It says the book tries to demystify a wellness landscape dominated by three products, including supplements Penguin. The publisher presents it as an inquiry, not as lifestyle advice.
There is a live date attached. Somerville College, Oxford lists an event titled Xand van Tulleken – Make Me Well. The listing gives a start date of 31 October 2026 Somerville College, Oxford.
What makes this stand out for casual readers is the family echo. One twin wrote a wide-reaching book about processed food. The other has now written about wellness. They started in the same place. They have ended up on neighbouring shelves.
