To answer this question, we need to identify the option that undermines the author's contention that supplementing the diet with antioxidants is necessary to slow down aging. Let's go through each option to understand why it is correct or incorrect:
Option A) Most persons aren't concerned with the effects of aging until it is too late to do anything.
- This option does not directly undermine the author's contention. It focuses on people's concern about aging, but it does not provide any information about the effectiveness of supplementing the diet with antioxidants.
Option B) Exercise associated with normal daily activities effectively neutralizes and dissipates the free radicals that are produced as a result of routine bodily processes.
- This option undermines the author's contention. It states that exercise effectively neutralizes and dissipates free radicals, suggesting that supplementing the diet with antioxidants may not be necessary to slow down aging.
Option C) The cost of antioxidants is exorbitantly high and well beyond the budget of most consumers.
- This option does not directly undermine the author's contention. It focuses on the cost of antioxidants, but it does not provide any information about the effectiveness of supplementing the diet with antioxidants.
Option D) Only overweight people who do not exercise on a daily basis are likely to have an excess of free radicals in their systems.
- This option does not directly undermine the author's contention. It focuses on overweight people who do not exercise, but it does not provide any information about the effectiveness of supplementing the diet with antioxidants.
Option E) Smoking cigarettes is one of the main causes of cellular damage in humans.
- This option does not directly undermine the author's contention. It focuses on smoking cigarettes as a cause of cellular damage, but it does not provide any information about the effectiveness of supplementing the diet with antioxidants.
The correct answer is B. This option undermines the author's contention by stating that exercise effectively neutralizes and dissipates free radicals, suggesting that supplementing the diet with antioxidants may not be necessary to slow down aging.