You have no doubt heard that Aspirin can save your life if you are experiencing a heart attack or stroke. But what most people don’t realize is that while Aspirin may work, it also comes with a significant risk of side effects. For years, the medical community recommended daily Aspirin use to prevent blood clots, but new research and even the FDA have changed their tune.
What if there was a natural, plant-based alternative that could be even more effective without the dangerous side effects? Enter the humble tomato.
Aspirin: The Go-To Antidote, and Its Side Effects
A stroke or heart attack is often caused by a partial cholesterol blockage that ruptures, attracting platelets—tiny blood cells that trigger clotting. Over time, a clot, or thrombus, can build up on the site of the rupture, eventually blocking the artery entirely. This starves a portion of your heart muscle or brain of oxygen, leading to the death of essential cells and, ultimately, a heart attack or stroke.
For decades, doctors recommended taking a daily low dose of Aspirin to inhibit platelets from gathering in your bloodstream, thereby preventing blood clots. However, this widely accepted practice has come under scrutiny. Aspirin has been linked to an increased risk of severe gastrointestinal bleeding and can mask a cardiac event in progress.
FDA No Longer Recommends Aspirin for Primary Prevention
Bayer, the world’s leading manufacturer of Aspirin, once lobbied to claim that Aspirin “can prevent heart attacks.” The FDA, however, decided to look at the evidence first. Their conclusion has since changed the conversation. The FDA now recommends that you do not take Aspirin if you have never had a heart attack or cardiovascular problems.
“The FDA has concluded that the data does not support the use of Aspirin as a preventive medication by people who have not had a heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular problems… In such people, the benefit has not been established but risks—such as dangerous bleeding into the brain or stomach—are still present.”
