An Aspirin a Day: Good for your Liver?
Should you take an Aspirin a Day?
But now researchers at Yale University have come up with yet another use for the ubiquitous little while pill – a possible preventative for liver disease.
The scientists believe the drug can actually inhibit the chemical that triggers inflammation in the organ and the damage that occurs as a result. The liver is a vital organ - it helps break down the body’s nutrients into useable byproducts – but there are a host of things that can damage it, including hepatitis, an overdose of acetaminophen and of course, too much drinking.
But when mice suffering from some of these conditions were given small doses of aspirin, they were less likely to die from their conditions because the drug blocked the receptors in the liver cells that led to the damage.
“This offers the exciting possibility of reducing a lot of pain and suffering in patients with liver diseases, using a new and very practical approach,” reveals study chief Dr. Wajahat Mehal.
