Argument142 [infinity小组]第二十一次作业

mayaUID: 199038

TOPIC: ARGUMENT142 - The article entitled 'Eating Iron' in last month's issue of Eating for Health reported that a recent study found a correlation between high levels of iron in the diet and an increased risk of heart disease. Further, it is well established that there is a link between large amounts of red meat in the diet and heart disease, and red meat is high in iron. On the basis of the study and the well-established link between red meat and heart disease, we can conclude that the correlation between high iron levels and heart disease, then, is most probably a function of the correlation between red meat and heart disease.
WORDS: 447         TIME: 30min          DATE: 2006-7-16

In this well-articled argument, the article's author concludes that the correlation between red meat and heart disease has resulted in the correlation between high iron levels and heart disease. To support this assertion, the author points out the evidence that there is a correlation between red meat and the risk of increased heart disease because red meats contain amounts of iron. However, a careful examination would reveal how groundless it is. There are several critical flaws as follows.

To begin with, the author has provided no information about the truth of the report. It is possible that other factors contained in the diet have increased the risk of heart disease. It is also likely that one compound which includes several elements of the diet has increased the risk of heart disease. Or perhaps this iron contained in the diet is different from the iron in the red meat. It is entirely possible that the real reason for the heart disease is that the iron in the red meat. Lacking the evidence about the iron's specific information, I could not accept the assumption that this study is logical.

In addition, even if iron contained in the diet can contribute risk to the heart disease, the author cannot assume that the correlation between red meat and increased heart disease is caused with the same reason. It is possible that the amounts of iron level can provide different effect. It might be that the high level of iron can cause heart disease, yet this level may be lower in the red meat and therefore the iron cannot increase the risk of heart disease. Unfortunately, the author has not explained this possibility. Lacking such evidence the assumption that the correlation between the red meat and the risk of increased heart disease is unconvincing.

Finally, the conclusion is problematic. Even if there contains a risk of the iron in the diet for the hear disease. The author cannot conclude that the correlation between high iron levels and heart disease is most probably a function of the correlation between red meat and heart disease. The author has not show that there is a relationship between both of these two correlations. It is entirely possible that other factors have caused the risk of heart disease. Without ruling out other possibilities, the author cannot hastily assume that the correlation between iron and heart disease is credible.

In sum, the author has not provided sufficient evidence for the conclusion. In order to support the conclusion, the author should provided specific information about the study. Meanwhile, the author should consider other possibilities which can cause heart disease. Otherwise, I could not accept the conclusion of the argument.