Sourced from: Undoctored Blog, authored by Dr. Davis, original posting date there: 2018-09-18
PCM forum Index of Undoctored Blog articles
Although the original blog content is freely available, mirroring it here makes it visible to site & forum search and open for comments.

Aspirin: Panacea or Piffle?

Aspirin is once again in the headlines, prompted by New England Journal of Medicine reports suggesting that people aged 70 years and older obtain no benefit and perhaps experience harm in the form of increased bleeding and increased death from cancer on low-dose aspirin. This adds to the decades-long debate on whether aspirin is beneficial as a preventive measure against cardiovascular events such as heart attack in which a blood clot forms on top of inflamed atherosclerotic plaque in the coronary arteries. Unlike many other studies that are observational and therefore virtually useless, these studies are prospective and randomized against placebo, studies that bear greater weight with conclusions that are more certain to establish cause-effect relationships.

There is no question that people who have stents implanted in their coronary arteries, have bypass grafts, or have suffered a heart attack experience reduced risk of recurrent coronary events with aspirin, so-called “secondary prevention.” The tougher question comes in whether aspirin provides any benefits in primary prevention, i.e., lower-risk people without stents, bypass grafts, or prior heart attack.

The three reports originated with the ASPREE trial of 19,000 Australians and Americans age 70 years or older, randomized to aspirin 100 mg per day vs. placebo: no difference in cardiovascular death or cardiovascular events (fatal heart attack, non-fatal heart attack, stroke) over nearly 5 years, with about a 1.5% increase in bleeding (e.g., intracranial bleeding, gastrointestinal hemorrhage).

Previous clinical trials (prospective, randomized to aspirin vs. placebo) in broader populations examining whether low-dose aspirin (typically 81-100 mg, a baby aspirin) likewise mostly suggest no benefit, much in line with these recent reports in people 70 years or older. The recent ARRIVE trial of 12,000 participants, for instance, randomized to aspirin 100 mg vs. placebo, showed no benefit and a modest increase in bleeding from aspirin.

People who are hypercoagulable, i.e., have more platelet activation, higher levels of the blood clotting protein fibrinogen, have greater inflammation and insulin resistance, do indeed appear to gain a teensy-weensy benefit by taking low-dose aspirin, as shown in the recent ASCEND Study of 15,000 people with type 2 diabetes (i.e., people we know are inflamed, insulin resistant, nearly all overweight or obese, have greater platelet activation and fibrinogen levels) randomized to aspirin 100 mg per day or placebo: about a 1% reduction in cardiovascular events over 7½ years (i.e., 0.13% reduction per year) and 1% increase in bleeding—hardly headline-worthy.

Let’s step back for a moment and take a look at the broader landscape. National dietary guidelines advocate limiting total and saturated fat, increased consumption of whole grains, and sugar in moderation, a lifestyle that has been associated with a dramatic surge in weight gain/overweight/obesity, epidemic levels of type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes, autoimmune inflammation, hypercoagulability, and other “diseases of lifestyle.” In other words, dietary guidelines have created a population-wide hypercoagulable state with the most hypercoagulable obtaining about ⅒^th of one percent per year reduction in cardiovascular events on aspirin and about the same risk of hemorrhage into the brain or gastrointestinal tract.

These most recent reports involving treatment randomization, large numbers of participants, with extended follow-up periods also counter a handful of previous observations suggesting a very small reduction in colorectal cancer on low-dose aspirin. ASPREE suggested about a 1% increase in cancer deaths (though no difference in cancer incidence).

Is aspirin a miracle drug for preventing cardiovascular events? Hardly. A ⅒^th of one percent per year reduction in cardiovascular events in higher-risk hypercoagulable people at the cost of serious hemorrhage, sometimes fatal, is, in my mind, no benefit at all. And, putting all the evidence on cancer incidence together, it looks like aspirin likewise has little to no benefit in reducing colon cancer risk.

So much time and effort has been devoted to exploring a drug that yields so little in the way of preventive effects in the broad population. My advice: Eat healthy, as we do in the Undoctored lifestyle, address common nutritional deficiencies remaining in the wake of grain elimination and caused by modern lifestyles, and make a concerted effort to cultivate healthy bowel flora. Now THERE’s a package of life- and health-changing strategies, unlike the little to no protection afforded by low-dose aspirin.

About the Recipes Sub-forum

Page Edition: 2022-05-03

Program Recipes:

Published program recipes are found in these two locations:
☕ Inner Circle Kitchen Recipes
☕ Blog Recipes Mirrored on the Inner Circle

All of the site “Kitchen” recipes have a dedicated discussion thread (Topic) in this forum, linked back to the recipe, and linked from the recipe.

Because the Blog Recipes are mirrored on the Inner Circle as forum Topics, each has/is its own thread, available for discussion.

The Role of This Sub-Forum

Per the forum short description:
“Discuss program recipes (including yogurts). Post and discuss your own low-carb, grain free recipes here.”

Do

• Discuss Inner Circle Kitchen recipes
  including posting images for those presently lacking them. Use the recipe’s dedicated thread at will.
   
• Discuss general ingredients, techniques and equipment
   
• Post your own recipes
  and keep in mind that you can revise them in place if anything gets overlooked or later revised
   
• Discuss Blog Recipes
  although it might be more effective to do that on the recipe’s own thread in the PCM.

Don’t

• Re-post, without permission, copyrighted recipes found on the web or in cookbooks

Originally posted by Dr. Davis on 2026-01-15 on the Dr. Davis Infinite Health Blog (⇩cite). | PCM forum 🛈Index of Infinite Health Blog articles PCM,IHB,anger,anxiety,bowels,flora,Depression,hatred,Inflammation,microbiota,prebiotics,probiotics,reuteri,sibo,super,gut,bones

Defiant Health Podcasts

Edition: 2026-01-13

This is an index of links to podcasts of Defiant Health Radio with Dr. Davis. This is one of several sub-indicies for the PCM, all linked from the 🛈Master Index topic.

Dr. Davis’ Defiant Health Radio is available on a variety of popular podcast platforms. Those so far launched include: ⎆Apple Podcasts, ⎆Amazon Music, ⎆Audible, ⎆Buzzsprout, ⎆Buzzsprout RSS, ⎆Castbox, ⎆Castro, ⎆Goodpods, ⎆Google Podcasts, ⎆iHeart Radio, ⎆Listen Notes, ⎆Overcast, ⎆Pocket Casts, ⎆Podcast Addict, ⎆Podcast Index, ⎆Podchaser, ⎆Podfriend, ⎆Player FM, ⎆Spotify, Some of these may require having an app, and/or a login capability on the platform, which may or may not be no-charge. Please report any new sites discovered, or issues with the links provided here.

Notification: To stay notified of new podcasts, you can of course subscribe on each platform. As an IC member, you can also subscribe to this Sticky thread. ⇩More below on how this works.

Status: The DH podcast ⎆began on 2021-06-30. This PCM index for DH is complete and current as of the page Edition date above.

Visitors: This Index, and all podcasts, are accessible to to non-members (although some serving sites may require membership).

Quick Date Nav: [2026-01] [⇩2025-12] [⇩2025-11] [⇩2025-10] [⇩2025-Q3] [⇩2025-H1] [⇩2024] [⇩2023] [⇩2022] [⇩2021]

⟲ What do I mean by "Super Body"?
   2026-01-13, 0:08:57

⟲ Lessons Learned From 30+ Years of CT Heart Scans and Coronary Calcium Scores: The Critical Role of Vitamin D
   2026-01-08, 0:19:02

⟲ Amylopectin A: Demon Carbohydrate
   2026-01-04, 0:10:07

⟲ Why Losing Weight the Wrong Way Can Be Dangerous
   2026-01-03, 0:18:55

⟲ What’s the REAL story with fish oil?
   2025-12-04, 0:16:43

⟲ What’s better than probiotics?
   2025-12-01, 0:17:26

⟲ My Conversation with JJ Flizanes: Conquering Your Life Obstacles
   2025-11-10, 0:51:19

⟲ Pushback against GLP-1 agonists
   2025-11-05, 0:11:35

⟲ Why Weight Loss Can Be Harmful to Your Health
   2025-10-22, 0:08:12

⟲ Oxalate Hysteria
   2025-10-15, 0:13:52

⟲ What happens when you deprive yourself of blue light?
   2025-09-24, 0:28:39

⟲ Why are you no longer hungry?
   2025-09-16, 0:12:50

⟲ There’s a 50:50 chance that you have this epidemic condition
   2025-09-09, 0:18:02

⟲ Here’s a microbe you should know about: Bacillus subtilis
   2025-09-03, 0:10:28

⟲ Yogurt That’s Not Yogurt: My Accidental Sleep Cure
   2025-08-29, 0:18:59

⟲ Microbiome Madness
   2025-08-17, 0:14:46

⟲ What was this Wheat Belly thing all about?
   2025-08-05, 0:15:14

⟲ 10 things you may not know about your CT heart scan and coronary calcium score
   2025-07-24, 0:21:15

⟲ How to use inulin to map the location of microbes in your GI tract
   2025-07-07, 0:18:46

⟲ The Guardrails of Diet
   2025-06-24, 0:20:01

⟲ Managing high blood pressure without drugs
   2025-06-20, 0:22:39

⟲ Ten Unexpected Signs of SIBO
   2025-06-16, 0:18:28

⟲ The Lies Being Spread About Sourdough Bread
   2025-05-30, 0:11:43

⟲ Hyaluronic acid: Most important DIETARY fiber of all?
   2025-05-15, 0:14:20

⟲ The REAL way to stop or reverse heart disease
   2025-04-24, 0:29:41

⟲ Will eating yogurt change your life?
   2025-04-12, 0:16:49

⟲ Cold Water Immersion: Cardiac Russian Roulette
   2025-04-02, 0:18:26

⟲ Why Cutting Calories is Dangerous
   2025-03-20, 0:23:52

⟲ Dr. Eric Westman on the Power of Limiting Carbohydrates to Reverse Type 2 Diabetes; Cholesterol is not a disease
   2025-03-04, 1:02:28

⟲ Are health coaches the future of healthcare?
   2025-02-05, 0:40:51

⟲ Is blue light damaging your eyesight?
   2025-01-22, 0:24:58

⟲ Managing Endotoxemia: Key to SO Many Aspects of Health
   2025-01-04, 0:41:29

⟲ Why managing skin pH is crucial for skin health and appearance
   2024-12-13, 0:21:47

⟲ The curious phenomenon of bacterial translocation that is key to so many health conditions
   2024-12-05, 0:24:13

⟲ Seven Reasons to NEVER Eat Wheat Again
   2024-11-20, 0:25:40

⟲ The myth of “optimal medical therapy”
   2024-11-02, 0:25:26

⟲ Unlocking Wellness: Reed Davis on Environmental Toxins and Holistic Health Solutions
   2024-10-18, 0:36:35

⟲ Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Facts and Controversies
   2024-10-15, 0:21:53

⟲ How NOT to have atrial fibrillation
   2024-09-30, 0:28:21

⟲ The Powerful Influence of the GI Microbiome on Sleep
   2024-09-14, 0:21:53

⟲ The GLP-1 Agonist Weight Loss Disaster
   2024-08-25, 0:25:45

⟲ How much of your personal health begins in the mouth?
   2024-08-10, 0:28:02

⟲ Common Myths and Misconceptions About Wheat
   2024-07-29, 0:28:10

⟲ The Finer Points of Vitamin D Supplementation
   2024-07-16, 0:23:07

⟲ Skin Health from Within: Nutrients, Modern Diets, and the Gut-Skin Axis
   2024-07-01, 0:31:17

⟲ “The Dark Dirty World of Sugar”: An interview with Joyce Laszloffy
   2024-06-11, 0:49:15

⟲ Decoding Emotional Eating: My Interview with Life Coach Molly Zemeck
   2024-06-04, 0:33:24

⟲ Nootropics vs Neurotrophics: Know the difference for preservation of brain health
   2024-05-25, 0:27:02

⟲ The Microbiome and Skin: My Interview with Microbiologist Kiran Krishnan, PhD
   2024-05-03, 0:57:11

⟲ The Microbiome-Cancer Connection
   2024-04-21, 0:22:06

⟲ Potpourri: Hyaluronic acid, allulose, L. reuteri and reproductive health
   2024-03-21, 0:29:06

⟲ My recent antibiotic experience
   2024-03-06, 0:26:22

⟲ How to Stop "Treating" Health Conditions
   2024-02-20, 0:31:24

⟲ A conversation with JJ Flizanes: Identifying your obstacles to success in weight loss, health, money, career, and relationships
   2024-02-03, 0:58:35

⟲ Infertility, miscarriages, brain fog and environmental toxins: My conversation with Dr. Tom O’Bryan
   2024-01-16, 0:42:39

⟲ The Perils of Carb Loading and the Power of Fat Adaptation for Athletic Excellence
   2024-01-08, 0:19:54

⟲ Why I take no prescription medications
   2023-12-29, 0:21:44

⟲ SIBO: The Great Masquerader
   2023-12-16, 0:28:57

⟲ The Little Known Secrets of Slowing Aging by Reducing Glycation
   2023-12-08, 0:19:10

⟲ Radiant Skin and Health: A Holistic Approach with Aesthetician Rachel Varga
   2023-11-27, 0:35:20

⟲ The 7 counterintuitive keys to successful long-term weight loss
   2023-11-17, 0:31:56

⟲ Here’s what happens when you reduce endotoxemia
   2023-11-06, 0:24:56

⟲ Making Sense Out of Your Cholesterol Panel
   2023-10-28, 0:30:16

⟲ Butyrate: Unleashing the Power of Diet for Flawless Skin
   2023-10-13, 0:20:18

⟲ The Hidden Dangers of Abdominal Fat—and How to Get Rid of It
   2023-10-06, 0:28:21

⟲ My Conversation with BiotiQuest’s Martha Carlin: Parkinson’s Disease, Eradicating Endotoxemia, Hazards of Extreme Exercise
   2023-09-21, 0:35:39

⟲ Deciphering the Complex World of Food Intolerances: The Role of Diet, Lifestyle, and SIBO
   2023-09-06, 0:27:21

⟲ The blood glucose “No change rule” to accelerate weight loss and achieve other health benefits
   2023-08-28, 0:18:35

⟲ Donna Schwenk on the Power of Kefir, L. reuteri Yogurt, Revitalization, and Sex
   2023-08-10, 0:50:42

⟲ Can you look and feel many years younger?
   2023-08-03, 0:32:53

⟲ Seven Important Measures of Cardiovascular Health--and It’s Not Cholesterol
   2023-07-24, 0:38:41

⟲ Disentangling the Web of Deceptive Diet Advice
   2023-07-13, 0:29:25

⟲ Unveiling the Secrets of Ancestral Dental Health: Diet, Lifestyle and Beyond
   2023-07-06, 0:17:10

⟲ Collagen: Anti-Aging Protein?
   2023-07-01, 0:15:28

⟲ Alpha Dreams, Alpha-Delta Sleep and Other Microbiome Effects on Sleep
   2023-06-22, 0:27:57

⟲ What Lessons Can We Learn From the 50-Year Low-Fat Dietary Mistake?
   2023-06-10, 0:34:44

⟲ How and Why Wheat Makes You Fat
   2023-05-27, 0:29:26

⟲ How NOT to have fatty liver
   2023-05-21, 0:23:33

⟲ The Case Against GLP-1 Agonists
   2023-05-10, 0:35:03

⟲ Can arthritis be prevented or reversed?
   2023-05-03, 0:26:47

⟲ Can narcissism be reversed?
   2023-04-25, 0:17:54

⟲ The keys to body shape, muscle, and fat
   2023-04-15, 0:41:43

⟲ VLDL: The REAL Cause of Heart Disease
   2023-03-30, 0:35:44

⟲ What’s the best way to eradicate SIBO?
   2023-03-22, 0:34:25

⟲ Anti-Aging Yogurt
   2023-03-14, 0:28:58

⟲ Cholesterol: Not what it’s cracked up to be
   2023-03-07, 0:26:49

⟲ Hyaluronic acid: Dietary missing link
   2023-02-22, 0:15:45

⟲ Why cutting calories is dangerous
   2023-02-13, 0:19:31

⟲ Health begins in the mouth: An interview with functional dentist Debbie Ozment, DDS
   2023-02-06, 0:42:21

⟲ Is your skin aging faster than it should?
   2023-01-29, 0:23:54

⟲ Big Butt or Big Gut: Is There a Difference?
   2023-01-24, 0:29:03

⟲ What’s so toxic about wheat?
   2023-01-15, 0:34:58

⟲ Five Things Cardiologists Won’t Tell You
   2022-12-21, 0:44:02

⟲ Will my programs make you younger?
   2022-12-01, 0:31:12

⟲ Interview with JJ Flizanes on Emotional Healing
   2022-11-16, 0:58:02

⟲ Beat Your Sugar Cravings
   2022-11-06, 0:22:23

⟲ A Short History of Iodine
   2022-10-27, 0:25:42

⟲ Interview with oral microbiome champion, Dr. Debbie Ozment
   2022-10-17, 0:29:26

⟲ Love Ain’t What It Used To Be
   2022-10-03, 0:15:23

⟲ What’s Missing From Dietary Guidelines
   2022-09-24, 0:19:51

⟲ Everything You Wanted to Know About Constipation But Were Afraid to Ask
   2022-09-11, 0:21:38

⟲ New Microbiome Insights Into Repeated Urinary Tract Infections
   2022-08-29, 0:19:12

⟲ Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity is REAL
   2022-08-20, 0:24:39

⟲ Lessons to Learn From Lactose Intolerance
   2022-08-04, 0:17:40

⟲ Oxytocin: Hormone of Humanity
   2022-07-23, 0:18:50

⟲ The Low-Fat Dietary Disaster
   2022-07-11, 0:28:21

⟲ The Great Microbiome Desert
   2022-06-29, 0:32:30

⟲ Five Strategies for Heart Health You Probably Didn’t Know About
   2022-06-20, 0:38:59

⟲ Two Nutrients, Two Microbes Crucial for Pregnancy and Lactation
   2022-06-06, 0:21:32

⟲ Little Known Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
   2022-05-24, 0:19:55

⟲ Unexpected Ways to Boost Your Immune Response
   2022-05-18, 0:20:47

⟲ What should blood sugar be after a meal?
   2022-05-12, 0:17:11

⟲ The Oxytocin Project
   2022-05-03, 0:18:51

⟲ Become a Microbiome Citizen Scientist
   2022-04-20, 0:25:55

⟲ Making Sense Out of Thyroid Health
   2022-04-12, 0:23:38

⟲ The Intestinal Microbiome and Sleep
   2022-04-03, 0:26:21

⟲ The Birth of Wheat Belly
   2022-03-30, 0:46:06

⟲ Vitamin D: Get It Right For Full Benefit
   2022-03-24, 0:33:29

⟲ SIBO Yogurt
   2022-03-19, 0:25:40

⟲ Depression and the Gut-Brain Axis
   2022-03-08, 0:18:24

⟲ Five Events That Transformed My Views on Health
   2022-03-04, 0:40:15

⟲ I read an excerpt from my new book, Super Gut: Chapter 5
   2022-02-24, 0:31:10

⟲ “I have SIBO--So What’s Next?”
   2022-02-14, 0:16:43

⟲ Make Saccharomyces boulardii Sparkling Cider Probiotic
   2022-02-05, 0:18:47

⟲ Yogurt of Love
   2022-01-25, 0:18:29

⟲ Statins, Anger, Hate, and Aggression
   2022-01-16, 0:16:57

⟲ The Seven Dangers of Sugar
   2022-01-09, 0:18:46

⟲ Ancient Love
   2021-12-28, 0:21:14

⟲ Secrets of the Microbiome Revealed in my new Super Gut
   2021-12-10, 0:14:57

⟲ Identify the Emotional Roadblocks Holding You Back: An Interview With JJ Flizanes
   2021-12-03, 0:40:06

⟲ Interview with Dr. David Perlmutter and about his new book "Drop Acid"
   2021-11-17, 0:33:42

⟲ Top Ten Reasons to Never Eat Wheat
   2021-11-14, 0:19:16

⟲ The Truth About Food Intolerances
   2021-11-04, 0:27:41

⟲ Appetite Control Freak
   2021-10-28, 0:13:16

⟲ The Magic of Oxytocin
   2021-10-21, 0:19:13

⟲ Collagen: It’s Not Just About Skin Health
   2021-10-15, 0:15:58

⟲ Does Wheat Cause Heart Disease
   2021-10-05, 0:21:33

⟲ Do You Have the Oxytocin Deficiency Syndrome?
   2021-09-28, 0:13:06

⟲ How a Low-Carb Lifestyle Can Lead To Trouble
   2021-09-22, 0:13:37

⟲ Interview with Paleovalley co-founder, Autumn Smith and her journey back to health
   2021-09-13, 0:16:19

⟲ Interview With Microbiome Guru Brenda Watson
   2021-09-04, 0:37:21

⟲ This Is Your Brain On Wheat
   2021-08-26, 0:15:26

⟲ Iodine Deficiency: The Forgotten Public Health Crisis
   2021-08-18, 0:14:24

⟲ The Loss of Empathy (and how you can bring it back)
   2021-08-01, 0:13:33

⟲ All You Need to Know About CT Heart Scans and Coronary Calcium Scores
   2021-07-19, 0:13:32

⟲ You don’t have to be a (T2) diabetic
   2021-07-12, 0:15:14

⟲ The Mysterious Case of the Missing Microbes
   2021-07-07, 0:12:02

⟲ How Big Pharma Bought Big Media
   2021-07-03, 0:08:17

⟲ Why I Dumped Conventional Healthcare
   2021-06-30, 0:23:37

Until the IC stands up a podcast section of its own, this page serves to provide an index of available DH podcasts. Links are to the Buzzsprout pages, which can be accessed at no charge, and with no Buzzsprout account.

As new episodes are added, this basenote is revised (which normally triggers no notifications), but a new Reply is also added to this thread announcing the new episode. The Reply triggers a notification to thread subscribers, and puts a link on the front page Discussions scroll. As new Replies of this sort are added, a moderator removes older such notification Replies (any meta-discussions about the DH podcast won’t be deleted).