Dec. 6, 2002 -- Last March, Mayo Clinic researchers unveiled a pill that helps prevent prostate
cancer. Chemical name: acetylsalicylic
acid. It has almost no side effects, is already FDA approved, and costs just 3 cents a pop. Plus, studies show that the stuff can also help stop a heart attack, beat colon
cancer, thwart Alzheimer's disease, and ward off strokes. Want some? You already have a stash of acetylsalicylic acid. You just call it
Aspirin .
here is a dozen benefits for the use of it.
Lower your blood pressure
Stop the itch
Ward off prostate cancer
Short-circuit sunburn
Prevent a heart attack
Erase calluses
Avoid colon cancer
Wipe out cold sores
Save your brain
Destroy warts
Make babies
G uard against strokes
But Before You Take Two
There's a small chance daily aspirin could cause stomach bleeding and, in rare instances, cause a blood vessel in the brain to break, triggering a hemorrhagic stroke. That's why doctors check for a history of bleeding problems and calculate your risk of stroke before approving a daily aspirin regimen.
Use the buying guide below to help you navigate the aspirin aisle. * Buy generic. Bayer. Anacin. Walgreens. "It doesn't matter," says Arthur Kibbe, PhD, chair of the department of pharmaceutical sciences at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania. "Aspirin is aspirin." * Go low. Unless your doctor recommends otherwise, low doses of aspirin seem to be more effective -- and safer -- than higher ones. "Scientists are still trying to determine the optimal dose of aspirin, but for many people, 81 milligrams a day appears to be it," says Thomas Bryant, MD, director of the Aspirin Foundation of America. Look for bottles labeled "low dose" or "low strength." * Save your stomach. Buy "enteric coated" aspirin; it's designed to pass through your stomach and into your intestines before dissolving. "Enteric coated aspirin takes longer to work, but it limits the amount of acid released into the stomach, which can help prevent damage to the lining," says Kibbe.