Studies Reveal that the Aspirin in Plants has a Potent Anti-cancer Effect

At the time, my head nurse came across a chapter in one of her old nursing textbooks that had a list of foods that contained high levels of aspirin. First off, I was shocked that there were even foods that contained aspirin. Secondly, I was quite surprised that almost everyone of these foods were either fruits or vegetables. I therefore composed a list for my patients of foods that I wanted them to avoid 2 weeks before and after the procedures. The thing that bothered me about giving them this list was that every single food that I was telling them to avoid was actually extremely healthy for them. I wanted to avoid bleeding, but I also wanted a healthy patient to able to ward off possible infections.

As time went on, I started reading more and more studies demonstrating that aspirin had a protective effect against heart attacks and cancer. Interestingly, whole food, plant-based diets were also found to have these similar health-protective effects. It was felt by these authors that it was primarily the anti-inflammatory effect by both aspirin and whole plant foods that were responsible for these amazing health benefits.

Let’s review what aspirin does. Aspirin creates its anti-inflammatory effect by blocking an enzyme called “COX-2”. Arachidonic acid (an omega 6 fatty acid) is converted to pro-clotting thromboxane and pro-inflammatory prostaglandins. These prostaglandins then create dilation of the lymph vessels which can increase the probability of metastasis of cancer. Tumors themselves also release a growth factor called “VEGF-C” which increases the activity of the pro-inflammatory enzyme COX-2.  

What is so amazing is that many plant foods have fairly high levels of aspirin. In the table below you can see the aspirin levels of many fruits and vegetables:

vegetarians, in study after study, have been shown to have a much lower incidence of ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeding than the general population.

Today, the official American Heart Association recommendation is that low-dose aspirin should be taken for all patients with heart disease, but, in the general population (that is, for those without a known history of heart disease or stroke) daily aspirin is only recommended “when the potential cardiovascular disease benefit outweigh the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding.”

In regard to cancer prevention there have been no formal recommendations, but with the current literature demonstrating a 20% reduction in the risk of death from cancer, daily aspirin use should be considered by those wanting to prevent cancer.

Since a whole food, plant-based diet can achieve similar high blood levels of aspirin without increasing the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, this better approach should be considered by all trying to lower, not only their chance of a heart attack, but also their chance of developing cancer.