Dr. Cooper, photographed by Can Türkyilmaz
Dr. Kenneth Cooper, the “father of aerobics and world-famous champion for public health,” recently weighed in on three controversial medical studies published earlier this week in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The studies propose that multivitamins do not prevent early death, do not prevent deteriorating mental health, and do not help heart attack survivors with future heart attack prevention, according to the Dallas Morning News.
An editorial in the same medical magazine titled, “Enough is Enough: Stop Wasting Time on Vitamin and Mineral Supplements,” states that “most supplements do not prevent chronic disease or death, their use is not justified and they should be avoided.” (You can read a portion of the editorial here.)
On Monday Dr. Cooper posted a statement on the Cooper Aerobics website saying that he doesn’t believe the research was subjective.
In his statement, Dr. Cooper proceeds to cite several studies that state the benefits of various vitamins. He then concludes with the following statement that explains why he will continue to recommend vitamin supplements, despite the recent findings:
“I believe that in order to practice responsible medicine we cannot make a broad based statement about vitamins. If every American ate between five to nine servings of fruit and vegetables a day we would not need additional vitamin supplementation. However, because the average American adult eats 3.1 servings of fruits and vegetables and the average teenager gets 1.6 servings, levels of vitamins in the blood can be low and supplementation becomes necessary.”
Not sure whose advice to take, but as medical researchers continue their studies, I will be eating plenty of fruit and vegetables.
