An Aspirin A Day Helps Keep Cancer Away

[Gahars]

I don't think I need to introduce aspirin here; I'm sure we are all familiar with what it is and why it's used. Sound good? Alright, moving on...

Taking a low dose of aspirin every day may reduce the risk of cancer and slow the spread of the disease, according to a study that followed the health of more than 100,000 patients.

Research by a team at the American Cancer Society in Atlanta found the overall risk of dying from cancer was 16% lower among people who took a daily aspirin pill for up to 11 years, with deaths from gastrointestinal cancers, such as oesophageal, stomach and colorectal cancers, falling by around 40%. Deaths from other cancers fell by 12% on average.

...Scientists are unsure how aspirin prevents cancer, but it may act by damping down inflammation in the body, or slowing the buildup of mutations in cells that ultimately turn cancerous. The drug appears to slow the spread of cancer around the body by preventing cancer cells from sticking to blood platelets.

The Guardian

Another study also found a connection between aspirin usage and a decreased likelihood of cancer, although the benefits were far more pronounced. Still, while the exact specifics may be debated, the fact that there is some sot of correlation seems pretty definite.

This is some pretty exciting news. Still (and I can not stress this enough), you should not just start popping aspirin daily. The headline's nice and all, but you're going to have more than cancer to worry about. Constant use can leave some lasting damage on the body, so there are some definite drawbacks that have to be considered.

The fact that a pill can be so effective against cancer is still encouraging, of course. Hopefully researchers will be able to build off of these findings (especially if they can pinpoint why exactly aspirin has this effect) and create better methods of preventing and treating cancer.

In other news: Take that, Tylenol!

 

[Nimbus]

Well, this is all great and fine, except doing this could potentially kill you. So even though its preventing Cancer which can kill you, it also itself taken in this amount could kill you by thinning your blood too far

For me the only asprin that had any effect on my headaches had Red Food Coloring in it, now this is actually a problem because I am severely alergic to Red Food Colorings of any kind, and because of this I cant take it when I need it.

Irregardless of my own issues, this isnt something I would advise anyone doing, in fact there are many more things that help to prevent cancer.

 

[Bladexdsl]

well well well i take aspirin all the time for headaches (panadol is aspirin right?) so i guess i can thank headaches for keeping cancer away

 

[Xuphor]

(panadol is aspirin right?)

No, they are very different. Ontop of being entirely different chemical composition, Aspirin is known to be hell on your stomach, while Panadol is known to be hell on your liver. Apart from the same overall effect (generally feeling better/overall pain relievers really), they share no similarities. Panadol is a brand name for generic acetaminophen, which is also known as Tylenol to many people. Meanwhile Aspirin is a brand of acetylsalicylic acid.

 

[Bladexdsl]

well fuck it than

 

[SpaceJump]

Well, being someone who had cancer and having to take one aspirin a day because of the consequences, this is good news for me

 

[Cartmanuk]

i take aspirin all the time for headaches (panadol is aspirin right?)

Panadol is paracetamol which is an analgesic drug

Aspirin is a salicylate , which is often used as an analgesic

 

[Bladexdsl]

i dont even think we have aspirin here than

 

[EyeZ]

I read this report a few days ago, aspirin seems to have good & bad qualities.

You have this report of aspirin being good for cancer, also if you have a suspected heart attack then the first thing the paramedics do is get you to take an aspirin.

On the downside aspirin can cause stomach bleeding.

 

[M[u]ddy]

This isn't really surprising. It was already known, that there is a relationship between blood clotting and cancer.
The French doctor Armand Trousseau (1801-1867) already discovered this connection. People who got a lot of thrombi also got cancer very often.
In 1866 he discovered a thrombus in his own arm. One year later he died of cancer.
In 1996 a DNA mutation was discovered in Leiden in the Netherlands, which caused a higher blood clotting. It was called Factor V Leiden.
People with Factor V Leiden are prone to thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, heart attacks, strokes and cancer.
This lead to new findings. With Factor V Leiden your body heals faster. Cancer apparently uses this raised regeneration to grow faster.

 

[shakirmoledina]

well if health decrement is another name for cancer then ASPIRIN was always a ways to keep it in check (VC pun)

 

[Magsor]

Eating antioxidants is a way more effective way to prevent cancer than aspirin.
You can find those in most fruits and vegetables. Cabbages, berries and red wine are a really good source.

 

[Devante]

Food for thought:

I've never taken so much as an aspirin ever since I was able to make the choice on my own (early teens) and I rarely - if ever - get sick.

I see people all of the time, including my wife, who are complaining of stomach pains, headaches, being tired, trouble sleeping, feeling sick in general.
They are always taking medicine for something; the same problems they complain about. Are the two related?
Are the very "medicines" they are taking the ones indirectly causing the problems?

I believe so.

I think we've all read or heard study reports how taking these types of medicines actually weaken your immune system and/or your body builds up a tolerance and you
need more and more for it to be effective. This certainly makes sense.

For example, let's take one of the most common problems, headaches.
People I know complain about them all of the time and are always reaching for tylenol or some pain reliever.
I'd say I get a bonafide headache less than once a year, and even then I don't take anything for it on principle.
Same thing with cold/sniffles. Less than once a year for me, and when I do, I'm not reaching for the cough syrup and the cold is gone in usually a day.

Could I just be lucky to have a resistance? Maybe.
But resistance to everything that others complain about? To headaches, colds, constant fatigue, etc etc? Not likely.
I fully believe it's my choice of resisting over the counter and in some cases prescribed medicine (one time I was prescribed steroids which I didn't take for a sudden trouble breathing... REALLY DOCTORS???) that has kept me healthy against these common health problems people have.
I by no means live a completely healthy lifestyle. I play video games all day, don't eat all that healthy, don't exercise, kinda pretty sedentary lifestyle.
I even went through a few years where I drank nothing but soda (drink a lot more water now).

Believe me guys, don't believe this "aspirin a day" stuff, and don't think just because you get sick that you need medicine.
As long as it isn't life threatening and you can deal with the discomfort/pain, tough it out. It'll be better for you in the long run.

Just my humble opinion.

 

[pasc]

Actually not a fan of aspirin, more like a "brave it out guy". I once knew somewhone who always would use aspirin for any headache...

 

[mysticwaterfall]

Eating antioxidants is a way more effective way to prevent cancer than aspirin.
You can find those in most fruits and vegetables. Cabbages, berries and red wine are a really good source.

There have actually been numerous studies that show that large Vitamin E doses do nothing to prevent cancer and in fact may increase your risk for cancer and heart disease.