An Aspirin a Day?

by D.M. Murdock

Will an aspirin a day keep the doctor away? Aspirin is a powerful medicine. Derived from white willow and very pure, aspirin is an effective pain-reliever or analgesic and fever-reducer. It is also an anticoagulant or blood-thinner, properties of which are useful in keeping arteries clear of clots. Taking aspirin during a heart attack may prevent fatality. It has been discovered that gender plays a role in aspirin's purported beneficial effects, with men reportedly experiencing a greater reduction in heart disease, while women apparently see a decrease in the incidence of stroke.1  But, should aspirin be taken on a daily basis as a preventive against a heart attack? For many people, taking an aspirin every day may not be a good idea.

Whereas once it was used almost exclusively for pain relief, aspirin today is touted as a treatment or preventive for a wide variety of ailments, including but not limited to:

• Alzheimer's disease
• birth defects caused by cytomegalovirus
• breast cancer
• colorectal cancer
• cardiovascular disease
• deep vein thrombosis
• dementia
• esophageal cancer
• hangovers
• headache
• heart attack
• Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• leukemia
• migraine
• ovarian cancer
• pancreatic cancer
• prostate cancer
• skin cancer
• stomach cancer
• stroke
• turban tumor syndrome

In 2003, a study indicated that longtime aspirin use increased the risk of pancreatic cancer.2 Even though this research was supposedly refuted, caution is advised in using aspirin for long periods, because aspirin is in fact a powerful medicine, which means that it does thin the blood - and overly thinned blood can may increase the incidence of stroke, as well as lead to blindness.3 A study in Ophthalmology (1998) called "Medications and cataract. The Blue Mountains Eye Study" implicated aspirin in the increase of the risk of cataracts. This same study apparently also reported an increase in macular degeneration with longtime use of aspirin.

It may be possible for you to verify the blood-thinning effects of aspirin by simply testing it over a period of a few days. Take one or two tablets once a day for a couple of days. Do your eyes become sore, red and bloodshot? The redness is the result of broken blood vessels, caused by the thinning of your blood. This will not be a definitive scientific experiment, but it does show the well-known anticoagulant effect of aspirin. In fact, the Mayo Clinic confirms that blood-thinning medications such as coumadin/warfarin and aspirin are causes of broken blood vessels in the eyes.4

Aspirin, or salacylic acid, is known to be hard on the stomach and to cause internal bleeding and other allergic reactions. Also, like other medicines and pain-relievers, such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen, aspirin may be toxic to the liver over a period of time. It is further advised that children and teenagers with "flu symptoms" or chicken pox should not be given aspirin without a physician's recommendation.5 People with Reye's syndrome, aspirin-allergy, asthma and stomach ailments should also avoid aspirin. The Bayer company warns diabetics that "combining acetylsalicylic acid or similar drugs with oral anti-diabetes drugs can decrease blood sugar levels more than expected." As is the case with most drugs, it is not advisable to take aspirin while pregnant.

Again, aspirin is a potent medicine with a variety of important uses, but taking it regularly may exacerbate or create health problems. It is wise to proceed with caution and to read the package inserts on any medication. As concerns aspirin's evidently beneficial blood-thinning effects, recent studies have shown that fish oils may be more effective and less risky for the same purpose. An enzyme found in soybeans called nattokinase also possesses de-clotting properties. However, the jury is out as concerns whether or not unfermented (miso) or unprecipitated (tofu) soybeans themselves are safe for human consumption, as soy powders and flours possess large amounts of phytoestrogens, which have been shown to cause birth defects, cancers and other illnesses.4 Those who are concerned about aspirin's possible side effects but still require pain relief may be interested in recent studies of chemicals found in tart cherries that may turn out to be better pain relievers than either aspirin or ibuprofen.

Note: The video below was not created by D.M. Murdock/Acharya S and does not necessarily represent her views.