Does Aspirin Prevent Colon Cancer?
I’ll Give You the Facts and You Decide Two of the largest know risk factors for colon cancer are a deficiency of folic acid (a B vitamin), and high alcohol consumption (which interferes with folic acid synthesis). In fact, folic acid deficiency is associated with many types of cancer. Studies have shown that folic acid supplements reverse pre-cancerous cell growth in the cervix, and one study found that folic acid significantly decreases pre-cancerous lung cells in smokers. Folic acid plays an important role in cell division and growth, so a cell deficient in it will be more likely to undrgo the cellular changes associated with cancer. What does all this have to do with aspirin? Aspirin and folic acid compete for some of the same receptor sites in your cells, so my guess is that part of aspirin’s action in preventing colon cancer lies in its partially mimicking folic acid at the cellular level. I suggest that if you’re concerned about preventing colon cancer, don’t take a substance tha
