Newspaper article: People who take vitamin C supplements tend to be

D is correct. D proves that taking vitamin C doesnt necessarily make people's life healthier; when people taking high level of vit C, they are less resistant to other diseases

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Information on infectious diseases is not out of context.

The conclusion is the following:

People who take vitamin C supplements tend to be healthier than average.

Notice that, while the evidence is about heart disease, the conclusion is about health in general.

Of course, infectious diseases are related to health.

B is the answer because in D we are talking of infectious diseases which is out of context.

I believe D is correct. If D is true, then it means people make not be healthier on average if they take Vitamin C.

The article argues that taking vitamin C tends to make people healthier on average.

A - Irrelevant as it does not address the argument above.
B - Even if true, it supports the argument that taking Vitamin C does make one healthier (although there are other ways to do it).
C - Even if true, it does not deny that taking vitamin C does make people healthier on average.
E - Supports the argument.


Newspaper article: People who take vitamin C supplements tend to be healthier than average. This was shown by a study investigating the relationship between high doses of vitamin C and heart disease, which showed that people who regularly consume high doses of vitamin C supplements have a significantly lower than average risk of heart disease.

Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument in the newspaper article?

(A) Vitamin C taken in the form of supplements has a different effect on the body than does vitamin C taken in food.
(B) The reduction in risk of heart disease due to the consumption of vitamin C is no greater than the reduction due to certain other dietary changes.
(C) Taking both vitamin C supplements and vitamin E supplements lowers one’s risk of heart disease far more than does taking either one alone.
(D) High doses of vitamin C supplements tend to reduce slightly one’s resistance to certain common infectious diseases.
(E) Taking vitamin C supplements has been found to lower one’s risk of developing cancer.

Conclusion: People who take vitamin C supplements tend to be HEALTHIER than average

(B) vs (D)


(B) The reduction in risk of heart disease due to the consumption of vitamin C is no greater than the reduction due to certain other dietary changes.

Is it necesary that reduction of heart disease be greater that the reduction of heart disease from other dietary changes? Not really

The fact that people who take vitamin C are healthier than average does not discard the fact that, for example:

People who eat vegetables are HEALTHIER than average, and so on there are multiple examples.

(D) High doses of vitamin C supplements tend to reduce slightly one’s resistance to certain common infectious diseases.

This one actullaly inserts some doubt by telling us that OK we have the benefit of reduction of heart disease ,BUT it also actually reduce slightly one's resistance to certain COMMON infectious diseases, so can you still hold that consumption of vitamin C still makes people HEALTHIER than average? Not really. This one is the answer.

Best,

Could someone clarify my doubt. I was choosing between D and B, but in D, we are told that high doses of vitamin C ... reduce SLIGHTLY one???s resistance to certain common infectious diseases, while people who regularly consume high doses of vitamin C supplements have a SIGNIFICANTLY lower than average risk of heart disease. I just thought that it was not enough for a negative SLIGHT effect to outweigh a SIGNIFICANT positive result. Where am I wrong?

Could someone clarify my doubt. I was choosing between D and B, but in D, we are told that high doses of vitamin C ... reduce SLIGHTLY one’s resistance to certain common infectious diseases, while people who regularly consume high doses of vitamin C supplements have a SIGNIFICANTLY lower than average risk of heart disease. I just thought that it was not enough for a negative SLIGHT effect to outweigh a SIGNIFICANT positive result. Where am I wrong?

Think about it..B) just compares consumption of vitaminc C vs other dietary changes, do we need such a comparisson? Not at all. I think you are assuming that other dietary changes are followed by average people, and that assumption is not correct at all, what if average people do not follow any dietary change at all? If this one is true your assumption would not be correct.

For example, suppose that "others dietary changes" reduce the risk by 50% (50% remaining risk), that Vitamin C reduces it by 45% (55% remaining risk), and that the average average people's risk is 70%, despite results of other diets, taking Vitamin C reduces risk.

On the other hand D) inserts doubt in our conclusion: People who take vitamin C supplements tend to be HEALTHIER than average,by stating that actually Vitamin C reduce SLIGHTLY one's resistance. What is going to be the effect of reducing SLIGHTLY one's resistance? We actually do not know the degree of the final effect of that "SLIGHTLY" reduction, so it could be a SIGNIFICANT or SLIGHTLY reduction of risk of heart disease, but for sure this one makes us doubt whether people who take the vitamin tend to be Healthier.

Best,

My thoughts on why B is wrong:

B says "Vitamin C is no greater than the reduction due to certain other dietary changes."
But from this we can comprehend that both - Vitamin C and other dietary changes can be highly effective at the same time.

So Vitamin C is still a good thing to eat. Hence B doesn't really weaken the argument.

Only D talks about "high doses". This strongly indicates the correct answer here.

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