Aspirin - things you need to know
Thanks to media hype, over 50 million people in North America are regular aspirin users and this figure is rising rapidly. Aside from its widely recognized use as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent, aspirin has become increasingly popular with the medical profession for a growing list of other maladies. The American Heart Association recommends aspirin for the prevention and treatment of heart disease and stroke, while the American College of Chest Physicians recommends it for any of the risk factors for coronary artery disease including obesity, diabetes, elevated LDL-cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking and a family history of heart disease. Some scientists would even argue for using aspirin as a weight loss remedy used in conjunction with caffeine and ephedra to “burn fat.” False hope for either the prevention or treatment of cancer, arthritis, tension headaches and seemingly every human discomfort is offered by proponents of daily aspirin use.
For people who use various forms of aspirin, such as BC Powder, Bayer brand, Excedrin, and Advil, they are risking their health for short term pain relief. Yes, you may obtain the illusion of pain relief, but do you know how the various aspirins work against pain? ANSWER: By deadening your nerves! Long term aspirin use is sure to corrode your nerves and entire nervous system leading to certain central nervous system pathologies such as Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease, and even stroke.
Aspirin breaks down or converts into ascetic acid inside the body and eats up red blood cells, just like white distilled vinegar does. Therefore, aspirin use pollutes the blood which is the essence of life. In addition to polluting and eating up the blood, aspirin greatly thins the blood. Many people take aspirin daily as a blood thinner. These people's arteries are so clogged, rather than cleansing the arteries in order to improve or enhance blood flow, doctors unwisely prescribe aspirin to thin the blood which is very dangerous because lack of blood equals lack of oxygen flow, and lack of oxygen flow to the brain will undoubtedly result in stroke. The herb gingko biloba is a much better and safer medicinal and alternative to aspirin as it is a mild blood thinner, but unlike aspirin, it greatly enhances oxygen flow throughout the body.
Aspirin use also causes intestinal and stomach ulcers. Aspirin burns a hole through the lining of the intestines and the stomach causing internal wounds (ulcers) and bleeding. Drinking cabbage juice is the best remedy for this problem. Aloe vera juice will also help to heal ulcers.
Females who take Midol drug for menstrual-related pain and cramps would do much better to take the herbs feverfew, cramp bark, and black haw. A liquid calcium supplement will greatly reduce menstrual-related pain. Calcium is natureís nervine and tranquilizer. Serious suffers of headaches, especially migraines, would do well to use the herbs aspirin was originally made from. Aspirin was originally made from herbs rich in the alkaloid salicin which converts into salicyclic acid inside the body, which has an anti-inflammatory effect on the body and thereby neutralizes pain.
Herbs that contain amounts of salicin include meadowsweet, white willow bark, red willow bark, black willow bark, woodruffî, balm of gilead, and wintergreen.
The herbs feverfew, peppermint, and wood betony should or can be added to the herbs above to create a natural pain relieving tea that can be drunk throughout the day and as much as you like in order to naturally eradicate a headache. Please know that a headache is an acid condition and alkaline substances can heal/cure and prevent headaches. Herbs are alkaline substances.
Lastly, long-term aspirin use will greatly pollute and eventually degenerate the liver, a very important cleansing agent and organ. People with red eyes have very toxic livers. Liver toxicity manifests in the white of the eyes. The herbs milk thistle seed, dandelion, boldo, goldenseal, tumeric, Oregon grape, artichoke, blue flag, gentian root, and barberry will heal, repair, and cleanse the liver. Carbon (activated charcoal) will also greatly help to cleanse the liver.
More important than relieving pain, a person should attempt to discover the root cause of pain, for prevention is better than remedy. Pain is just a sensor that lets you know that something is wrong in or with the body. Pain is a question that seeks an answer.
Additional
articles by Djehuty available at www.dherbs.com/articles/
More Science Showing Aspirin's Dismal Failure
In 2004, Dr. Cleland published the results of a new study (Warfarin/Aspirin Study in Heart Failure, or WASH) in the American Heart Journal in which he investigated antithrombotic strategies in 279 patients with heart failure. He found that the patients who received aspirin treatment actually showed the worst cardiac outcomes, especially worsening heart failure. Dr. Cleland concluded there was "no evidence that aspirin is effective or safe in patients with heart failure."
Then in 2010, another study looked into whether or not patients taking aspirin before an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) were at higher risk of recurrent problems or mortality. ACS is a term used for any condition brought on by sudden, reduced blood flow to the heart, such as a heart attack or unstable angina. The study found that patients who were taking aspirin showed a higher risk for recurrent heart attack and associated heart problems.
Thus far, aspirin's performance is quite unimpressive. But what about aspirin's benefits specifically for women? As it turns out, aspirin fares no better with women.
In 2005, Harvard conducted a study to investigate whether or not low-dose aspirin offered cardiovascular benefits for women. They followed nearly 40,000 healthy women for a full 10 years. Again, the results did not show any heart benefit from aspirin therapy; researchers concluded aspirin did NOT lower the risk of heart attack or death from cardiovascular causes among women.
Aspirin Never Proven Safe or Effective for Diabetics
Cardiovascular disease is a serious concern if you have diabetes, and a number of studies have set out to determine whether aspirin can offer a degree of protection. Three studies have shown the benefits to be either inconclusive, or nonexistent.
1. In 2009, a study in the British Medical Journal found no clear evidence that aspirin is effective in preventing cardiovascular events in people with diabetes. Results differed between men and women, but overall, they found no clear benefit and called for more studies on aspirin's toxicity.
2. Also in 2009, a Swedish study examined the effects of aspirin therapy in diabetic patients. Researchers found no clear benefit that aspirin is beneficial for diabetics but did note that it can increase the risk for serious bleeding in some of them. They stated that the current guidelines for aspirin therapy should be revised until further study is done.
3. In 2010, a meta-analysis in the U.K. examined six trials consisting of 7374 diabetic patients, comparing the relative cardiac risks for aspirin users and non-users. They concluded, as did the other researchers, that aspirin did not reduce heart attack risk for diabetic individuals.
It's pretty clear that aspirin isn't all that it's cracked up to be when it comes to preventing you from having a heart attack. But is it doing any harm? Well, as it turns out, the answer is yes—in a number of possible ways.
Aspirin Increases Your Risk of Hemorrhage, GI Damage, and Several Other Problems
Routine use of aspirin has been associated with the following problems:
· Bleeding, especially in the gastrointestinal tract
· Duodenal ulcers, GI damage, and diverticular disease
· Increased risk of ER/PR-negative breast cancer in women
· Increased risk of kidney failure
· Cataracts, hearing Lossand tinnitus
In fact, there are studies listed on Greenmedinfo showing aspirin's connection with 51 different diseases! The most well established side effect of aspirin is bleeding, which results from aspirin's interference with your platelets—the blood cells that allow your blood to clot. According to one scientific articlei, long-term low-dose aspirin therapy may DOUBLE your risk for gastrointestinal bleeding.
You can certainly understand how a bleed is possible, given what is known about the effects aspirin has on your GI tract.
For example, a study done earlier this year investigated the effects of low-dose aspirin on the gastrointestinal tracts of healthy volunteers. After only two weeks, the group receiving aspirin showed "small bowel injuries" capable of interfering with blood flow (diagnosed upon endoscopic examination). And a 2009 Australian study showed that aspirin causes gastroduodenal damage even at the low doses used for cardiovascular protection (80mg).
The damage to your duodenum—the highest part of your intestine into which your stomach contents pass—can result in duodenal ulcers, which are prone to bleeding. A Japanese study found a higher incidence of bleeding at the ulcer cites of patients with duodenal ulcers taking low-dose aspirin therapy, versus those not taking LDA. More than 10 percent of patients taking low-dose aspirin develop peptic ulcers.
The
risk
of bleeding is particularly pronounced in the elderly, which is very
concerning as the elderly are often put on aspirin prophylactically to protect
against cardiovascular disease. With all of these adverse effects, why risk it
when there are safer and more effective alternatives?
There's more - here's the opinion of Shane
Ellison, from the People's Chemist After a long night of drinking away his frustrations with people who talk
more than they think, he decided to test his theory. Hungover, the young
chemist made a tea from the bark. It tasted like shit. But, almost instantly,
his discomfort melted away. Despite his gluttonous indulgence, the crushing pressure on his head was
released. It was like cheating and winning. White willow bark became the
official pain reliever not only for bears, but also for many other party-goers
astute enough to follow his lead… Hippocrates Shuns Food Greek physician Hippocrates heard about white willow bark…This is same
guy that nerdy nutritionists today quote as saying, "let food be your
medicine and medicine be your food." Well, thank God he started taking tips from chemists. Drugs are more fun
than food and far more interesting. Eventually, the doctor put the real
medicine to use, and it worked – drugs like white willow bark are much more
reliable than an apple when you need relief. It’s rumored that
Hippocrates later said, "Chemists are awesome tutors and fun to party
with." As time past, Big Pharma got excited about the pain killer. This laid the
groundwork for the eventual isolation and synthesis of a molecule known as
salicylic acid – one of many ingredients found in white willow bark. To their distress, the industry couldn’t market the natural ingredient as
their own. (You can’t patent Mother Nature, yet.) In order to have a
monopoly, they had to alter it a bit. Chemist Carl R. Gerhardt was the first
to do so in 1853. Bayer Steals From Mother Nature Starting with the parent compound, Gerhardt performed a series of
laboratory reactions. This yielded a molecular cousin. The newly devised
willow bark-fake was named ASA (acetyl-salicylic acid). It marked one of the
earliest and most profitable thefts from Mother Nature. Bayer trademarked it
as "Aspirin" in 1889. Some say the name was derived from St.
Aspirinius, a Neapolitan bishop who was the patron saint against headaches. As aspirin popularity grew, the inherent risks surfaced. (So much for being
a saint…) The small molecular change made for big dangers. Why Aspirin is so Damn Risky Like deflating a tire, aspirin depletes the body of life-saving nutrients.
These include folic acid, iron, potassium, sodium and vitamin C. Symptoms
associated with such depletion include: anemia, birth defects, heart disease,
elevated homocysteine (a risk factor for heart disease), headache, depression,
fatigue, hair loss, insomnia, diarrhea, shortness of breath, pale skin and
suppression of the immune system. Internal bleeding is one of the biggest risks. Studies show that aspirin
users die sooner compared to those not taking it. ototoxic-drugs-audicus-hearing-aids Body Count Increasing Among Aspirin Users Each year, a grossly underestimated 7600 deaths and 76,000 hospitalizations
occur in the United States from use of aspirin and other NSAIDS like Motrin,
Aleve, and Celebrex. But, the FDA states that only about 10% of deaths caused
by NSAIDS are reported. Doctors aren’t willing to acknowledge aspirin as the deadly culprit.
Death by the drug is usually attributed to the victim being either too damn
sick or too damn old. Therefore, the body count is much higher than we are
told. In 1986, Dr. Otis R. Bowen, the Secretary of Health and Human Services,
issued a warning reminding parents that children and teen-agers with flu
symptoms "should not be given aspirin." Using it for the flu or
Chicken Pox, aspirin puts users at risk for Reyes Syndrome, a disorder that
causes organs to shut down, and large amounts of bloody, watery liquid to
accumulate in the lungs. In 2009, historian and researcher Dr. Karen Starko showed that mortality
rates were increased during the 1918 flu epidemic due to aspirin use! At the
time, massive amounts of the drug were purchased by the military and given to
soldiers. The "always pharmaceutically compliant" Journal of the
American Medical Association (JAMA) suggested a dose of 1,000 milligrams every
three hours. That’s the equivalent of almost 25 standard 325-milligram
aspirin tablets in 24 hours – twice the daily dosage generally considered
safe today! Minus the overdose, it’s predicted that death rates wouldn’t
have been so tragically high. Identifying Aspirin Actions Gets Nobel Prize It was pharmacologist John Vane who discovered the good and bad actions of
aspirin. On one hand, he found that it blocks the production of an enzyme
known as COX (cycloxygenase). Downstream, this prevents inflammation,
swelling, pain and fever. But, he elucidated a risky trade off. Aspirin also stifles the formation of healing compounds. Crucial for
physiological support, they protect the stomach from damage by hydrochloric
acid, maintain kidney function and stop internal bleeding. Vane won the Nobel
Prize for his work. Bayer wasn’t concerned about the findings…Or they ignored Nobel Prize
winning science. Expanding their market reach, they pushed "baby" aspirin to
protect against heart attack and stroke. But, the "little bit" is
still harmful. Writing for The New York Times, Dr. Neena S. Abraham said,
"If your physician has suggested you take aspirin to reduce your risk of
heart disease, it is important to remember that even small doses of daily
aspirin — including "baby aspirin," at a dose of 81 milligrams
daily — can increase your risk of ulcers and bleeding." …buffered or enteric-coated aspirin won’t protect you. Judith P. Kelly of the Slone Epidemiology Unit at the Boston University
School of Medicine warned that "all forms of aspirin carry risk."
Protective covering or not, it still paralyzes the production of
physiologically-important compounds in our body. Safe Alternatives White willow bark doesn’t contain ASA or "aspirin." Therefore,
it won’t accidentally kill you. Source: By: Shane Ellison, MS
Thousands of years ago, humans witnessed injured bears (not the Chicago Bears)
gnawing on the bark of white willow trees. Some dude – probably an earlier
rendition of The People’s Chemist – assumed that it was done to relieve
pain.