A recently issued twenty-year study on headaches suffered by the residents of Mentia investigated the possible therapeutic effect of consuming salicylates. Salicylates are members of the same chemical family as aspirin, a medicine used to treat...

The author concludes that the number of residents suffering from headaches in Mentia will be reduced with the increase in the production of food containing salicylates. However, this conclusion is based on various assumptions and lacks any solid evidence.

First and foremost, it cannot be concluded from the fact that when two substances belong to the same chemical family, they can have similar functionality. Here, the author makes an assumption that salicylates belonging to the same chemical family as aspirin, have the similar functionality of treating headaches as aspirin. Although the elements belonging to the same chemical family may have similar properties, they might have some other distinguishing characteristics that make them different. They may exhibit different behavior as compared to their other member. So, it cannot be predicted that they have the same functions and can be used for treating the same disease or problem.

The second assumption on which the argument relies is that the participants in the twenty-year study were enough to draw a conclusion about the relation between the increase in commercial consumption of salicylates and a decrease in the number of people with headaches. The authenticity of the twenty-year study and the participants involved is not presented by the author.

Next, the directly proportional relation established between the use of salicylates and headaches in residents of Mentia is based on the assumption that residents did not consume substances, or products other than the food containing salicylates for reducing their headaches. They may have taken different food which is effective in treating headaches.

Even if we consider salicylates as a treatment for headaches, the proportion or amount of consumption is not clearly stated. Hence, people taking them in more than adequate amounts may suffer even more because of the side effects of overconsumption. Consequently, there will be an increase in the number of headaches patients, which disapproves the assumption made by the author.

To sum up, the argument made by the author is not convincing enough as it is based on some assumptions.