As the functional medicine physician to A-listers like Gwyneth Paltrow and Shakira, Apostolos Lekkos, D.O. in Santa Monica, California, wants his patients to see him before they get sick. Formerly an emergency room doctor, Lekkos switched to functional medicine because he didn’t want to simply treat symptoms with medication. Lekkos wants his patients to be profoundly well — mind, body, spirit— so they don’t have to take medication.
In an exclusive interview with Grazia, Dr. Lekkos explains why supplements are absolutely essential for peak health and which ones you need to add to your routine.
(Before taking any supplements, check with your physician, especially if you are on any medication. Grazia and Dr. Lekkos are not providing medical advice.)
Do you think everyone needs supplements? Why?
Yes, everyone needs supplements. I’d even recommend that once babies are weaned and on solid foods, they should be given probiotics.
There are a few reasons why.
First, our food is so much less nutrient-dense than it used to be. Our fields are over-farmed and the soil is depleted of its rich nutrients. We need supplements because our diet just doesn’t cut it anymore. Even something like broccoli isn’t as full of vitamins as it used to be because of over-farming. I see thousands of patients and everyone’s nutrients are off.
Second, the body’s demand for nutrients is way more than it used to be because we are so stressed, lacking sleep, and bombarded with toxins and pollutants. Your body is working so hard to maintain function and prevent disease. It uses up vitamins and nutrient pools in order to do this. Plus, nearly every prescription medication will cause some sort of nutrient deficiency. Birth control pills are one example. They lower B vitamins, which will make you feel fatigued, among many other symptoms. B-complex are one of the most important nutrients for the body’s optimal function.
Third, we’re having a harder time digesting food because we don’t have the nutrients to make digestive enzymes. When we’re so stressed, we under-produce them so we’re not optimally breaking down our food in order to absorb these vital nutrients. I recommend digestive enzymes to many of my patients for this reason.
Can you talk about the importance of supplements for the immune system?
As we age, it’s important to have a strong immune system. You want to enjoy life, not be slowed down by illness and poor health. Supplements are an easy way to help detoxify and keep the immune system strong. They provide you with the soldiers to fight the war against aging and disease.
However, supplements are just a piece of it. Staying healthy is about your whole lifestyle: Sleep, exercise, stress management, a positive attitude about life. It’s eating clean. It’s maintaining mental health and working on bettering who you are as a person. It’s about detoxifying the body as much as possible on every level. It’s all-encompassing.
Are there supplements people shouldn’t take?
Some products have a lot of great ingredients but not enough to put your body in a state of health. The dosage is so small there are no physiological benefits. You’re taking it for nothing.
You need to do your own research or see a physician who does what I do, functional medicine. Western medicine teaches doctors to give meds, not supplements, but there is a lot missed here. Supplements can have amazing results in patients.
Some supplements are as good or even better than prescription medications. You don’t have the side effect profiles that drugs do. I’ve seen how they work on my patients. For example, statin drugs lower cholesterol but there are a lot of possible side effects. Red yeast rice acts just like a statin does in the body, but you don’t get the unwanted side effects. L-theanine is amazing for focus and I recommend it for ADHD instead of Adderall.
The other thing that’s really important is not to go to Amazon or other websites for your supplements. You’re putting yourself at risk of getting fake products. You’ve got to get a quality product.
Look for nutraceutical (or bioceutical) companies. These are high quality, pharmacy-grade supplements. Some of my favorite brands are Designs for Health, Pure Encapsulations, Life Extensions and Metagenics.
Remember, you get what you pay for with vitamins.
DR. LEKKOS’S TOP 11 SUPPLEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Probiotics
Helps maintain gut health by helping you keep balanced amounts of bacteria in your intestinal tract. We’re learning how the gut microbiome, when balanced, can have profound effects on your health: Mental, cardiovascular, aging, blood sugar control, body weight control.
2. Multivitamin With B-Complex
The B-complex are probably one of the most important nutrients in the body. They do almost everything in the body. They help make neurotransmitters in our brain. They are involved in energy production from food, detoxification, cellular metabolism, and nerve protection. They are powerful antioxidants and they’re important in making your blood and DNA.
Make sure the multivitamin has all the B vitamins: B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, biotin, folic acid and B12. Multivitamins should also have antioxidants in them, like vitamins A, C, E, that protect the body from oxidative stress due to environmental toxins, which can sometimes lead to devastating disease states.
3. Vitamin D
Activates over 300 genes in the body and is a very powerful immune stimulator — so you can fight off illness. It helps your immune system stay strong and has powerful anti-cancer benefits. Have your doctor check your vitamin D blood level; it should be between 60 to 80 ng/mL.
4. Fish Oil
It’s a powerful anti-inflammatory with profound effects on the cardiovascular system. It’s also amazing for brain health and maintaining cognitive function. It helps with the immune system, has some anti-cancer benefits, and lowers blood pressure. It’s also great for your skin, hair and nails.
5. Curcumin
It’s my favorite nutrient because of all that it does. Curcumin is cardio-protective and also protects your brain. It has anti-cancer properties and it helps keep your blood sugar balanced. It’s also a very powerful anti-inflammatory and has amazing detoxification properties. Many things cause inflammation — toxins, pollution, stress, lack of sleep, a poor diet (anything fried, processed or with gluten; sugar; vegetable oils). Inflammation can create a lot of disease processes, especially autoimmune diseases, cancer and heart disease. The goal is to keep inflammation down in our bodies as much as possible because it’s a source of multiple, serious health issues.
6. Ashwaganda
We are all stressed out and this is a fantastic herb to balance cortisol, the “stress” hormone.
7. Magnesium
It’s a common nutrient deficiency in humans and magnesium is involved in over 300 reactions inside of the cells. It’s vital for cellular energy production, nerve and cardiac function. Chronically low levels can increase your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.
8. Arterosil
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the world. This supplement is amazing because it keeps your blood vessels very healthy and can help reverse plaque buildup. Start taking it around age 40.
9. Liposomal Glutathione
It’s one of the most powerful antioxidants in the body and helps prevent many chronic disease as you age.
10. L-Theanine
Keeps your mind focused and relaxed. Everyone’s mind is so busy with worry and thoughts and this helps the monkey mind shut off. It’s especially helpful when you are trying to sleep. It’s also great for ADHD in kids and adults.
11. Spermidine
A great anti-aging product because it clears out senescent cells, which promote aging by causing chronic inflammation and damage to surrounding cells and tissues. Spermidine keeps cellular debris cleaned out of your body to allow new healthy cells to flourish.
