Studies suggest that, for the vast majority of people who have normal

Question

Studies suggest that, for the vast majority of people who have normal blood pressure, any amount of sodium greater than that required by the body is simply excreted and does not significantly raise blood pressure. So only persons who have high blood pressure and whose bodies are incapable of safely processing excess sodium need to restrict their sodium intake.

Which one of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the argument?

(A) High blood pressure is more harmful than was previously believed.

(B) High blood pressure is sometimes exacerbated by intake of more sodium than the body requires.

(C) Excess sodium intake over time often destroys the body’s ability to process excess sodium.

(D) Every human being has a physiological need for at least some sodium.

(E) Any sodium not used by the body will increase blood pressure unless it is excreted.

Bunuel · Accepted Answer

EXPLANATION FROM Fox LSAT 
 
 Premise: For people with normal blood pressure, excess sodium is usually harmlessly excreted, without raising blood pressure. 
 Conclusion: So we don’t have to worry about excess sodium unless we have high blood pressure or limited ability to excrete sodium.

We’re asked to “seriously weaken” the argument. So we want to put a wedge in-between the premise and the conclusion. The argument sounds fairly reasonable to me, so I don’t have a great prediction going into the answer choices. Let’s just try to pick the answer choice that seems to do the most damage to the argument.

A) I don’t see how this weakens the argument. High blood pressure could be instantly fatal, and I still don’t think it would weaken the argument. The argument says we’re not going to  get  high blood pressure from excess sodium, so who cares how lethal it is? I don’t think this is the answer.

B) This wouldn’t weaken the argument, because the argument explicitly says it doesn’t apply to people with high blood pressure.

C) If this is true, then even healthy people should probably avoid excess sodium, lest they eventually become one of the people whose bodies cannot process excess sodium properly. I like this answer.

D) The argument concludes that only certain people needed to  avoid  sodium. If this answer is true, it would strengthen the idea that sodium shouldn’t be avoided. We wanted a weakener, but this is a strengthener.

E) This wouldn’t weaken the argument, because the argument explicitly says it only applies to people who don’t have a problem excreting excess sodium.

Our answer is C.

Nidzo · Answer

(A) Irrelevant to the argument.  Incorrect

(B) Does not weaken the argument that people high blood pressure and whose bodies are incapable of safely processing excess sodium need to restrict their sodium intake.  Incorrect

(C) This tackles the argument by suggesting that even those not mentioned in the argument should limit their sodium intake should.  Correct

(D) Irrelevant. The need for sodium is not what the argument pertains to.  Incorrect

(E) Does not weaken the argument.  Incorrect

Answer C

Jaidude · Answer

How I approached the problem

Conclusion/Authors Opinion  and  Facts/Premise

Studies suggest that, for the vast majority of people who have normal blood pressure, any amount of sodium greater than that required by the body is simply excreted and does not significantly raise blood pressure .  So only persons who have high blood pressure and whose bodies are incapable of safely processing excess sodium need to restrict their sodium intake.

Which one of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the argument?

The argument is that   only persons   who have high blood pressure and whose bodies are incapable of safely processing excess sodium need to restrict their sodium intake
To weaken this we need to prove that not just those people but everyone should restrict their sodium intake! choose a choice that goes with this!

(A) High blood pressure is more harmful than was previously believed.  woaah okay so...?

(B) High blood pressure is sometimes exacerbated by intake of more sodium than the body requires.  distortion

(C) Excess sodium intake over time often destroys the body’s ability to process excess sodium.  Correct option and in line with our thinking

(D) Every human being has a physiological need for at least some sodium.  it's true I do like my food seasoned but this does not weaken the argument

(E) Any sodium not used by the body will increase blood pressure unless it is excreted.  O.o distortion

100mitra · Answer

Correct Option C

Premise : Studies suggest that, 
for the vast majority of people who have normal blood pressure, 
any amount of sodium greater than that required by the body 
is simply excreted and does not significantly raise blood pressure.

Conclusion : So only persons 
 who have  high blood pressure  and 
whose bodies are  incapable of safely processing excess sodium   
need to restrict their sodium intake.

Which one of the following, if true, would most  seriously weaken the argument ?

(A) High blood pressure is more harmful than was previously believed.
 Wrong : Irrelevant – concern only about High blood pressure not about the reason of its cause

(B) High blood pressure is sometimes exacerbated by intake of more sodium than the body requires.
 Wrong  – Strengthen the argument

(C) Excess sodium intake over time often  destroys the body’s ability to process  excess sodium.
 Correct  – Weaken the conclusion, because conclusion focus only on person who has high blood pressure and incapable to digest the excess intake of sodium, option C highlights to all group of people, when they consume excess intake of sodium, it affects to them too.

(D) Every human being has a physiological  need for at least some sodium .
 Wrong:  restriction of sodium will lead to sodium deficiency, but fails to address the high blood pressure and excess of sodium to body side effects

(E) Any sodium not used by the body will increase blood pressure unless it is excreted
 Wrong  – Strengthen the premise, not weaken the conclusion

Sumi1010 · Answer

The argument says 
Ability to excrete excess sodium leads to No significant rise in BP.
Inability to excrete excess sodium leads to significant rise in BP unless excess sodium is controlled.

X results no-Y.
No-X results Y unless Z. ==> No-X and No-Z result Y.

What if X and Y are not independent and are interrelated? Then, we can't say : No-X and No-Z result Y. 
This is just that one factor "cannibalises" the another one to minimise the impact of both together.

Choice C does the same. 
Choice B has to be true to keep the argument stand. This does not weaken it. 
Other choices don't impact the argument.

IMO  C

sivatx2 · Answer

The argument agrees that a section of people who couldn't excrete excess sodium are in danger of high blood pressure. 
The other section of people who can process the excess sodium and excrete them, it assumes there is no problem.
But what if they are in danger of high blood pressure as well? So to weaken we need a reason why the other section of the people are in danger.

(A) High blood pressure is more harmful than was previously believed. 
 This does not weaken the argument, as it is already known fact, though it now makes it extreme. Eliminate.

(B) High blood pressure is sometimes exacerbated by intake of more sodium than the body requires. 
 This in fact reduces the impact of the problem, by stating that not all time high blood pressure results in problem. Eliminate

(C) Excess sodium intake over time often destroys the body’s ability to process excess sodium. 
 This is relevant to the argument and directly weakens it. Based on this, we can now say that even people who can process, currently, excess sodium over the long run those other section of the people will eventually get into trouble. Hence, C is the best answer choice.

(D) Every human being has a physiological need for at least some sodium. 
 We are taking about consuming excess sodium. This is irrelevant to the argument. Eliminate

(E) Any sodium not used by the body will increase blood pressure unless it is excreted. 
 This is already known information and hence it does not weaken. Eliminate.

Studies suggest that, for the vast majority of people who have normal

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