【1010G8月AW小组】【我们的小组】ARGUMENT35 by【❀雨】

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TOPIC: ARGUMENT35 - The following appeared in the summary of a study on headaches suffered by the residents of Mentia.

"Salicylates are members of the same chemical family as aspirin, a medicine used to treat headaches. Although many foods are naturally rich in salicylates, for the past several decades food-processing companies have also been adding salicylates to foods as preservatives. This rise in the commercial use of salicylates has been found to correlate with a steady decline in the average number of headaches reported by participants in our twenty-year study. Recently, food-processing companies have found that salicylates can also be used as flavor additives for foods. With this new use for salicylates, we can expect a continued steady decline in the number of headaches suffered by the average citizen of Mentia."


In this summary, the author of Mentia concludes that a continued steady decline in the number of headaches suffered by the average citizen of Mentia will happen. To support the conclusion, the author cites that the salicylates has been used as preservatives by food-processing for the past several decades. The author also points out that a correlation between a steady decline in the average number of headaches reported and the commercial use of salicylates has been found in a twenty-year study. Finally, the resident also notes that salicyates is found can be used as flavor additives for food recently by food-processing companies. I find this argument unconvincing for several reasons.

First, the salicylates are members of the same chemical family as aspirin lend little support to the resident's conclusion. Being in the same chemical family doesn't mean that the salicylates has the same function as aspirin. Common sense informed me, it is entirely possible that salicylates has a function which is definitely different with aspirin. The resident must provide evidence of the two chemical substances have the same function to human.

Secondly, the author fails to substantiate that the steady decline in the average number of headaches is directly related to the commercial use of salicylates. There is no evidence show that these participants in study have been had a daily diet which is containing salicylates for twenty years. Without such evidence, it is quite possible that there is no causal relationship between the decline of headaches and the commercial use of salicylates.

Thirdly, even assuming that the decline in the numbers of headaches is attributed to salicylates, the fact that food-processing companies have found that salicylates can be use as flavor additives for foods does not necessarily indicates a continued steady decline in the number of headaches. Perhaps food-processing companies won't even use salicylates as flavor additives in the future because of cost or taste. Furthermore, even if salicylates can be used as flavor additives in future, the author fail to give evidences that the residents in Mentia will purchase and eat such food in their daily lives. Since the author doesn't give any evidences concerning that, I cannot take the author's conclusion seriously.

To sum up, the conclusion that a continued steady decline in the number of headaches suffered by the average citizen of Mentia is under expected is not well supported, to bolster it the author should give evidence that the salicylates have a similar function with aspirin besides their same chemical family. The author must also rule out the possibilities that the decline of headaches reported by participants in study is caused by other reasons. To better assess the soundness I would need the information about how often the participants in the study eat the food containing salicylates, and the future prospect of the salicylates in usage of additives.