Pop Culture

Supplements for hair, skin, and general health have never been bigger business. But do the results match the promise? JENNIFER GEORGE swallows the truth.

- JENNIFER GEORGE

Two years ago, I was writing a piece for ELLE for which I had to have a blood test. I didn't need it, I felt fine, but the feature was about my hormone levels, so in the name of duty I stuck out my arm and let them stick in a needle. When the results came back, the doctor asked me if I was taking iron supplements (no), vitamin C (no) or even a multivitamin (no). I was a bit alarmed-surely I was meant to be the one asking the questions? "Your levels of ferritin [a blood protein that contains iron that indicates how much your body stores] are about 20 times higher than normal. I think we should test you for haemochromatosis."

This chronic disorder results in your body storing too much iron, which can build up in your organs over time, carrying a risk of damage and, ultimately, organ failure. It's genetically inherited (meaning I was born with it) and in its early stages doesn't have symptoms. It isn't uncommon either: It's believed that one in 150 people in England and Wales have it, with many going undiagnosed.

Without that fateful blood test, I might have gone decades without knowing most sufferers only find out when it gets bad enough to cause noticeable symptoms. And forgive the dramatics, but if I had ever self-dosed on iron or vitamin C supplements (vitamin C encourages the body to absorb and retain iron), I could have gone into liver failure. It's one of the reasons I get so frustrated when I meet representatives of supplement brands who tell me I "must" take their product. They don't know what's going on inside my body or, for that matter, anyone else's.