Salicylates are members of the same chemical family as aspirin, a medicine used to treat headaches. Although many foods are naturally rich in salicylates, for the past several decades, food processing companies have also adding salicylates in food as pres

According to the author, there has been a continuous decline in the number of headaches suffered by the average citizen of Mentia. This conclusion is based on the premises that salicylaye has been used by the many of the food processing companies as additives. However, the argument is rife with holes, assumptions and false data. The author must have studies more about the properties of salicylates. The argument makes me to think that does the property of salicylate remain the same even after it is used as preservative or additive? Here is the list of some of the assumptions or false data, that the author has not considered while writing the summary.

Firstly, after being used as preservative by the food companies, does it retain the same medical properties as required for the headache? In the food companies, the food has to go under number of the processes or changes due to heat or decomposition. There is a high possibility that these processes might alter the property of the salicylate.

Secondly, the author has mentioned about the twenty year long study. By such long time, the participants might use many of the other medications, And, there is high chance that the decrease in the headache could be because of those medication. There is no data available about the study, the participants. The participants could be in between the age group of 10 to 20, where the chances of headache are minimal.

Thirdly, headache can be of various types. Migraine is one of them. So it is not necessarily true that consuming salicylate as preservative or additive in food will cure it. Also, it is no where mentioned that whether the headache is the primary ailment or secondry. Because, there are number of diseases where the headache comes as a primary symptom. So, in that case salicylate will not help.

To sum it up, I would say that author needs to include more data and information to prove his argument valid.