If aspirin were discovered today, it would probably be as high-priced as Viagra! There are so many beneficial effects, and they aren’t just for pain relief.
Aspirin is in a group of drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAID’s). It works extremely well for arthritis and various types of inflammation. Many times when fancier, much more expensive drugs don’t work, patients tolerate aspirin well and receive the greatest comfort at a price that is almost a giveaway. The problem with aspirin is that it does cause stomach ulcers in the higher dosages.
It has been known that a daily aspirin will reduce strokes and heart attacks significantly. It is recommended that, at the first sign of having angina or heart pain, the patient should chew an aspirin immediately. Most patients, when they first enter the emergency rooms for chest pain, are given aspirin prior to any of the other drugs. Aspirin works by reducing the likelihood of clotting in the arteries.
A more recent finding is that the daily use of aspirin in even very low doses such as a baby aspirin per day (¼ of an adult aspirin) reduces colon cancer by 50%. A 1999 study showed that individuals who began aspirin at the late age of 65 reduced colon cancer 47% over the next five years! Colon cancer starts in polyps. Aspirin prevents the polyps. Subsequently, aspirin prevents colon cancer. Using regular aspirin along with flexible sigmoidoscopy and stool blood screening after 50 years of age could almost eliminate this disease.
An interesting finding – aspirin may also help in cases of infertility. Apparently blood flow is increased to the ovaries and other tissues and aids in ovulation and having a viable pregnancy.
It remains to be shown at what age we should begin taking aspirin and dosages have not yet been completely worked out. It would appear however that almost any adult can tolerate a ¼ of an aspirin a day. Unless the patient is at high risk for some other reason, most begin it at age 35.
In addition to pain relief, aspirin has been shown to markedly decrease colon cancer, strokes, and heart attacks. After checking with your doctor, it may be prudent to begin a regimen of a baby aspirin per day (¼ of an adult aspirin) starting at age 35.
Republished with the permission of John L. Pfenninger, M.D. – mpcenter.net
