Say Hello to Your Little Friend: Aspirin

Recent studies have found health advantages to a daily, low dose aspirin regimen beyond that of heart disease prevention. Aspirin’s broadening health benefits combined with its affordability make it a serious contender as your new best friend.

Keep reading to learn how aspirin can help with memory, cancer and your skin.

Memory

Aside from alleviating headaches, aspirin can improve memory and even reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Aspirin’s power is rather simple and comes almost entirely from its anti-inflammation properties. It reduces inflammation in areas of the brain related to memory creation and storage thus facilitating the formation of new memories while protecting old ones. It is also thought to limit the breakdown of proteins in the brain that cause plaque formations, a leading cause of Alzheimer’s disease.

Cancer

Equally as impressive is aspirin’s ability to fight and prevent a wide range of cancers, notably breast cancer, melanoma, colorectal and gastrointestinal cancers. This is again attributed to aspirin’s ability to reduce inflammation, which promotes cancer cell growth. It is also thought to disrupt the activation of platelet cells by tumor cells, which once activated can increase tumor cell growth and survival. A study researching breast cancer in mice found that aspirin not only slowed the spread of cancer cells but actually shrank existing tumors. Additionally, long term studies of women found that aspirin taken over a five year period reduced their risk of breast cancer.

Skin

Bonus! Aspirin can actually slow down the appearance of aging skin! Collagen is what makes skin look firm and young. High or fluctuating levels of inflammation can cause collagen to break down faster, making skin look older. Aspirin reduces this inflammation, making skin look younger.

Before you run to the drug store know that aspirin, even in small doses, is a drug that has side effects. It is a blood thinner and will increase bleeding, can cause stomach ulcers, make antidepressants less effective and have been known to worsen asthmatic symptoms. As with any medication consolte your doctor before implementing a daily aspirin routine.