Nutritionist: Multivitamins are potent storehouses of antioxidants, s

Question

Nutritionist : Multivitamins are potent storehouses of antioxidants, substances that fight the oxidation process, which breaks down the body. Nonetheless, according to longitudinal studies—studies that follow subjects over the course of many years—those who take multivitamins every day have a decreased longevity. Clearly, if people want to live longer they should avoid antioxidants.

Which of the following is an assumption the argument relies on?

a) The use of antioxidants does not vary across different age groups. 
b) The less often one takes multivitamins, the more one’s longevity increases.
c) The antioxidants found in vitamins do not differ from antioxidants found in other sources, such as food. 
d) Antioxidants can confer health benefits that do not relate to longevity.
e) Antioxidants destroy free radicals, which are toxic to the body.

NOTE : this question has been retired within the Magoosh system and thus is no longer a question endorsed by Magoosh.

pqhai · Accepted Answer

One of the most often traps used in GMAT is  “sampling” technique . (exactly what you see in statistic of Quant)

The form is: 
 Characteristics of the sample/sub-set is CORRECT
Conclusion: Characteristics for whole set/population is CORRECT too.

Assumption:  the nature of characteristics of the sample and that of the whole set should be similar. If they are  different, you can’t generalize the conclusion  from information of the sample.

ANALYZE THE STIMULUS:

Fact: Multivitamins are potent storehouses of antioxidants (antioxidants of multivitamin –  sample )
Fact: Studies that follow subjects over the course of many years—those who take multivitamins every day have a decreased longevity. 
Conclusion: Clearly, if people want to live longer they should avoid antioxidants. ( the whole population )

Which of the following is an assumption the argument relies on?

ANALYZE EACH ANSWER:

a) The use of antioxidants does not vary across different age groups. 
 Wrong.  Out of scope. Nothing about “age groups”.

b) The less often one takes multivitamins, the more one’s longevity increases.
 Wrong.   Extreme assumption.  Taking more often multivitamin decreases longevity, it does not mean taking less often multivitamins increase longevity. It may keep the longevity the SAME.

c) The antioxidants found in vitamins do not differ from antioxidants found in other sources, such as food. 
  Correct.   C means we can generalize a conclusion from information of the sample, because the nature of information of the sample and that of the whole set is similar.

d) Antioxidants can confer health benefits that do not relate to longevity.
 Wrong.  Out of scope. Nothing about other benefits.

e) Antioxidants destroy free radicals, which are toxic to the body.
 Wrong.   Reverse answer.  E  may  support the idea that taking more often multivitamin is good, not bad.

Hope it helps.

blueseas · Answer

VITAMINS have  antioxidants  ==>everuday intake ==>less life.
therefore to live long==>avoid  ANTIOXIDANTS. 
it means it is assuming that ANTIOXIDANTS intake from any source (either from vitamins or from any other source) is going to affect longevity.

clearly C says this.
ALL antioxidants are same .

HENCE C.

Nevernevergiveup · Answer

Nutritionist:  
 Multivitamins are potent storehouses of antioxidants which breaks down the body. 
Nonetheless, according to longitudinal studies those who take multivitamins every day have a decreased longevity. 
Clearly, if people want to live longer they should avoid antioxidants.

Which of the following is an  assumption  the argument relies on?

a) The use of antioxidants does not vary across different age groups........ no data regarding the age groups has been mentioned. OFS 
b) The less often one takes multivitamins, the more one’s longevity increases............ seems correct but a trap answer and is an extreme inference in reality. According to argument, more Multivitamins less longevity
but it is extreme to infer that less multivitamins more longevity as simply by not taking MV's cannot ensure longevity. 
c) The antioxidants found in vitamins do not differ from antioxidants found in other sources, such as food..............  This fills the needed gap between evidence and conclusion of the argument.  
d) Antioxidants can confer health benefits that do not relate to longevity.............. may be true but need not be assumed 
e) Antioxidants destroy free radicals, which are toxic to the body............. This is a new info and is out of scope to be assumed.

askul2389 · Answer

still not convinced with above explanations about answer choice C. could someone please elaborate more?

vijaisingh2001 · Answer

see the scope shift from vitamin to antioxidants in general
we need to make sure that these vitamin pills are the representation of the antioxidants class- means pills are no different from other foods which have these antioxidants

vijaisingh2001 · Answer

see the scope shift from vitamin to antioxidants in general
we need to make sure that these vitamin pills are the representation of the antioxidants class- means pills are no different from other foods which have these antioxidants

urhowig · Answer

This is quite a good question. I was tricked by the conclusion "they should avoid antioxidants." .
I thought the conclusion is only about antioxidants from multi vitamin. But here antioxidants means it can come from either multivitamin or from any other source.

nks2611 · Answer

the answer should be C,although B is bit tempting but later seemed out of scope

shalabhg27 · Answer

hey any one please explain : if people want to live longer they should avoid antioxidants but if antioxidant is same as what is present in food then food should reduce our longevity?
I am confused please help...

shalabhg27 · Answer

Please clear my doubt ..
 if people want to live longer they should avoid antioxidants but if antioxidant is same as what is present in food then food should reduce our longevity?
I am confused please help...

nks2611 · Answer

Hey , although I didn't understand your doubt well, but hope it helps , see what we need to support is that multivitamins from any substance such as food as mentioned have the same antioxidants then the food will also do the same process in reducing longevity , so only the option ,c which suggests and the best choice , try negation test for c then you will definitely be sure that it must be the necessary info for the stimulus to be true. Here food doen not mean the daily intake rather food which have the antioxidants as does the multivitamin. Hope it makes sense

Sent from my HM 1S using  GMAT Club Forum mobile app

mikemcgarry · Answer

Dear Mahmud6 , I'm happy to respond.

Within Magoosh, this question has been retired. The problem lies with other aspects of the question, but choice (C) is still a solid answer. One way to think about assumptions is what is called the "bridge method." See this blog: Assumptions on the GMAT CR In this argument, the main piece of evidence concerns multivitamins specifically: these are correlated with decreased longevity. Then, the conclusion makes a huge jump, from multivitamins specifically, to all antioxidants. The assumption needs to bridge that gap. Choice (C) works does this job, telling is that the two categories are identical, so that an effect of one would be the effect of the other. That's a piece that the original argument was missing. Does this make sense? Mike

Mahmud6 · Answer

Hi  mikemcgarry ,

I got the point. The conclusion makes a huge jump, from antioxidants found in multivitamins, to all antioxidants. To justify this conclusion the author needs to assume that all antioxidants are same, i.e., antioxidants found in multivitamins are same as antioxidants found in other sources, such as food.

Thank you.

Praval15 · Answer

It would be easy to fall into the trap at B, where "anti-oxidants" and "multivitamins" are conflated. C wins rather easily once you have moved past B.

gmat1102 · Answer

Type of argument - Scope shift

initially the argument talks about the antioxidants in multi-vitamins but then shifts to anti-oxidants in general.

This therefore tells us that the author is not distinguishing between two types of antioxidants -- thereby the assumption.

VerbalBot · Answer

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Nutritionist: Multivitamins are potent storehouses of antioxidants, s

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