An enzyme called Cox-2 is thought to be the leading cause regarding several diseases because it oxidizes arachidonic acid in the body. When a fat gets oxidized in the body, it actually burns up and it causes inflammation. Arachidonic acid is a fat acid that is part of the omega-6 group and the body needs these fat in order to stay healthy. It is thought that the Cox-2 enzyme can be the leading factor in some cancers, such as skin cancer, esophagus cancer, colon cancer and cancer of the bladder. The enzyme has often gone ignored in cancer research and studies, but it has been recently found that if the Cox-2 enzyme can be disabled , that the inflammation caused by it can be reduced or eliminated.
It is interesting how Cox-2 inhibition can block certain cancers and diseases. Every single person makes Cox-2 enzymes and by themselves, they do not harm the body. The danger comes when these enzymes make hormones in the body that then directly cause inflammation. The hormones from the Cox-2 enzyme can produce these hormones in every area of the body, including the brain. Due to this, it is also thought that this enzyme might be responsible for Alzheimer’s disease as well as inflammation of the back, knees, shoulders and other areas of the body that normally become inflamed.
Thankfully, researchers were able to find a product promptly that inhibits that actions of the Cox-2 enzyme. There are several natural herb products that market themselves as Cox-2 blockers, but the one product that has had the most success is that tiny jar of aspirin that we all tend to have in our medicine cabinets. Aspirin has been shown to effectively be able to block the extreme inflammation that is caused by the hormones produced by Cox-2. This means that along with preventing heart attacks and strokes, aspirin can add another positive to its uses.
While there certainly needs to be more research on the Cox-2 enzyme and blocking it, this seems to be a pretty good start. Aspirin seems to be the new market niche in many healthcare fields.