Do supplements work?

Or are they a waste of money?

A few years ago a girl I worked with had severe flu. When she came back to work after having 3 weeks sick-leave, she looked like death. The glands in her neck were swollen, she was pale and had black circles under her eyes. She was so exhausted her could hardly drag herself through the day.

I had had a remarkable experience with Ginseng, so I went out at lunch time and bought her some. We didn't expect to see her the next day. One of my colleagues said they wouldn't be surprised if she'd been admitted to hospital. But she came to work, looking much better. Even I, who had a lot of faith in Ginseng, was surprised at the improvement. The next day she was back to normal. She felt so well that instead of catching the train home 2 stops, she walked.

Why then are we always reading articles decrying supplements?