Does Aspirin Have Any Advantages Over Methyl Salicylate?

[catharsis]

The acetyl group of aspirin allows for many different downstream effects compared to the other salicylates. Yes, they can improve metabolism and increase uncoupling but the acetyl group in ASA (acetylated COX enzymes for example) allows for a lot of the anti-inflammatory effects.

Aspirin-triggered proresolving mediators stimulate resolution in cancer
Aspirin acetylates wild type and mutant p53 in colon cancer cells: identification of aspirin acetylated sites on recombinant p53

 

[Nokoni]

The acetyl group of aspirin allows for many different downstream effects compared to the other salicylates. Yes, other salicylates can improve metabolism and increase uncoupling but the acetyl group (acetylated COX enzymes for example) allows for a lot of the anti-inflammatory effects.

Aspirin-triggered proresolving mediators stimulate resolution in cancer
Aspirin acetylates wild type and mutant p53 in colon cancer cells: identification of aspirin acetylated sites on recombinant p53

Ah, an answer to my question of 4 and 1/2 years ago. Very good, thanks. And the fact that there is a carbonyl group included in the acetyl group may also indicate generalized goodness, according to some of the more biochemically astute people in these parts. But I prefer topical application, so I can get larger doses without GI issues, and topical aspirin is problematic (I can't even get it to dissolve). Also enhanced metabolic rate is inherently anti-cancer and I can get more of that with larger topical doses of MS than with tolerable oral doses of ASA.

 

[catharsis]

Ah, an answer to my question of 4 and 1/2 years ago. Very good, thanks. And the fact that there is a carbonyl group included in the acetyl group may also indicate generalized goodness, according to some of the more biochemically astute people in these parts. But I prefer topical application, so I can get larger doses without GI issues, and topical aspirin is problematic (I can't even get it to dissolve). Also enhanced metabolic rate is inherently anti-cancer and I can get more of that with larger topical doses of MS than with tolerable oral doses of ASA.

Travis could have explicated more on this subject. Rest in power.

See if you can get GI issues with aspirin with gelatin, coffee, or redbull with a meal. 1g should be tolerable for people but sad to see you are having issues. Yeah, it's not very soluble in water (at least according to Sigma). I think Ray has talked about adding aspirin to baths but that would cause it to break down to salicylic acid and acetic acid.

Try powdering your aspirin and add it to a glass of water with some baking soda. It should create sodium acetylsalicylate and that probably could be put in a spray bottle for topical application.

 

[Nokoni]

Travis could have explicated more on this subject. Rest in power.

See if you can get GI issues with aspirin with gelatin, coffee, or redbull with a meal. 1g should be tolerable for people but sad to see you are having issues. Yeah, it's not very soluble in water (at least according to Sigma). I think Ray has talked about adding aspirin to baths but that would cause it to break down to salicylic acid and acetic acid.

Try powdering your aspirin and add it to a glass of water with some baking soda. It should create sodium acetylsalicylate and that probably could be put in a spray bottle for topical application.

Yes Travis is who I had in mind. And thank you for your suggestions, but I would have to be convinced that ASA had way more benefit to health than MS to even consider switching back. You provided documentation showing a couple of cases where ASA might be better. Maybe even probably would be better, in those particular cases. But I would need a study explicitly about ASA vs MS to be confident about it. Also there may be evidence out there that MS is superior, in this or that particular case. Or maybe it actually is superior in this or that particular case but nobody has studied it in that context. Absence of evidence doesn't really say anything by itself. Research on ASA vs MS effects on health has almost certainly not been done. And MS is no muss no fuss, just put it on. Nice and easy, just the way I like it.

 

[Inaut]

For those that can't tolerate ASA orally for whatever reason, methyl salicylate may be a more suitable option. If you can tolerate both and if dosed correctly, why not reap the benefits of both? I love wintergreen oil and I love adding aspirin to tonic water :)

 

[Inaut]

"Topical application of wintergreen oil requires caution. Methyl salicylate gets absorbed into our body through the pores of our skin. Inside our body, it mimics aspirin.

5 ml of pure wintergreen essential oil is equivalent to 7000 mg of salicylate, which is equal to 21.7 aspirin tablets. This is a staggering number.

20 drops from a regular essential oil dropper make up 1 ml. We have advised a formulation which uses 5 drops of wintergreen oil in 100ml of base oil, which turns out to 350 mg of salicylate. Even this amount is significant, because a regular tablet of aspirin contains 322.5 mg of salicylate. [7] However, at this concentration, it would not lead to toxic effects in an otherwise healthy adult person."

Wintergreen Essential Oil - Uses for Hair, Acne and Joint Pain, Health Benefits, Side Effects

Wintergreen essential oil is one of the most popular essential oils. It is used in many countries of Europe and North America because of its especially powerful pain-relieving effects. It was known to ancient herbalists that wintergreen has pain relieving effects and that is why they used to...

teatreeplace.com

 

[Nokoni]

For those that can't tolerate ASA orally for whatever reason, methyl salicylate may be a more suitable option.

Also if you need a higher concentration of anti-inflammatory in a particular spot. I can get concentrations of salicylates in problem spots that would be difficult if not impossible with sub-lethal doses of oral ASA. I've got a hernia on a ligament (or something) at the top inside of my thigh that's been there for many years and had prevented me from crossing my legs with right ankle on left knee (and taking proper care of my feet, and bending over in certain ways, etc.). I had been taking aspirin in dosages as high as 3 grams per day for many years and it didn't clear it up. I never even had any expectation that it might clear it up. But when I started again recently with the MS I thought I'd give it a try, and the topical MS is clearing it up quite nicely. Similarly with knees, back, and neck. Nearly everybody my age (70) has problems with inflammation in those areas, and oral ASA certainly did help, but it did not help nearly as much as topical MS placed right there. It would likely be highly beneficial if used liberally in sports medicine. (I wrecked my knee playing basketball more than half a century ago. Wish I'd had it then.)

But your point is still valid. If I needed ASA for what may be the unique benefits of acetylated salicylate I could just take an aspirin also.

 

[Nokoni]

5 ml of pure wintergreen essential oil is equivalent to 7000 mg of salicylate, which is equal to 21.7 aspirin tablets. This is a staggering number.

Lmao. Complete red herring. 5 ml is too much. Though if his math is right (I didn't check) I was taking more than 2 ml equivalent orally with ASA (9 aspirin tablets daily) for long stretches of time. This is basically just saying "Don't drink it from the bottle." Yeah. Good advice.

If baby doses get you the benefit you need then lucky you. Stick with that. But if your needs are greater then your dosage will need to be greater. Just don't drink from the bottle.

 

[Jinju]

I am going to try this. What brand would you recommend and where do you normally buy it (@Nokoni)? Where did you get it @Inaut ?

 

[Inaut]

I am going to try this. What brand would you recommend and where do you normally buy it (@Nokoni)? Where did you get it @Inaut ?

I just bought some Now Foods Wintergreen EO from a health food store. It’s cheap.

 

[Nokoni]

I am going to try this. What brand would you recommend and where do you normally buy it (@Nokoni)? Where did you get it @Inaut ?

I only ever bought it once nearly 5 years ago, experimented with it briefly at the time, put it on the shelf, and then dug it back out a month or so ago and started using it. I got it from Amazon, and I checked and they still sell it. It's a one litre bottle of "high purity" methyl salicylate. (There's only one in the litre size.) For my relatively heavy use, that probably represents about a 3 year supply. The same company seems to have a smaller bottle. I hesitate to recommend it, however, because I have no information on how it was purified (or synthesized) so I don't know what other trace constituents may be in it. I don't believe it is sold for use in humans, though there are reviews that mention people using it for back pain, etc. Note that I haven't noticed anything problematic with it, quite the opposite in fact, but it is worth considering the possibility that it may contain harmful impurities. Maybe wintergreen oil (which is much the same thing) would be safer, but I'm not sure that's sold for use in humans either. (Are EO's for putting on the skin or just for adding their aroma to a room?) I know you can find preparations for human use that include methyl salicylate, but they usually also include menthol and camphor, such as Ben Gay, which I like much less. Besides, I want it undiluted. So for me, I'll stick to my gigantic bottle :)

 

[Jinju]

Thanks @Inaut
And thanks @Nokoni for your detailed response. I did see the listing on Amazon for the 1L pack. I was actually wondering about the process of purifying/synthesizing myself but I might still try it.

 

[LeeLemonoil]

"Topical application of wintergreen oil requires caution. Methyl salicylate gets absorbed into our body through the pores of our skin. Inside our body, it mimics aspirin.

5 ml of pure wintergreen essential oil is equivalent to 7000 mg of salicylate, which is equal to 21.7 aspirin tablets. This is a staggering number.

20 drops from a regular essential oil dropper make up 1 ml. We have advised a formulation which uses 5 drops of wintergreen oil in 100ml of base oil, which turns out to 350 mg of salicylate. Even this amount is significant, because a regular tablet of aspirin contains 322.5 mg of salicylate. [7] However, at this concentration, it would not lead to toxic effects in an otherwise healthy adult person."

Wintergreen Essential Oil - Uses for Hair, Acne and Joint Pain, Health Benefits, Side Effects

Wintergreen essential oil is one of the most popular essential oils. It is used in many countries of Europe and North America because of its especially powerful pain-relieving effects. It was known to ancient herbalists that wintergreen has pain relieving effects and that is why they used to...

teatreeplace.com

Substantial parts of the EO don’t penetrate into deeper layers of the skin or blood vessels that could lead to systemical distribution. And not all at once. It penetrates slowly through the tissue.

 

[Inaut]

Substantial parts of the EO don’t penetrate into deeper layers of the skin or blood vessels that could lead to systemical distribution. And not all at once. It penetrates slowly through the tissue.

I'm using it. I love the smell.

 

[FocusedOnHealth]

I'm using it. I love the smell.

Me too. I love it more than peppermint.

 

[Inaut]

Me too. I love it more than peppermint.

A million times. Reminds me of root beer :) :)

 

[Inaut]

The Wonders Of Wintergreen - Dr. Sarah Lobisco

Wintergreen essential oil (Gaultheria procumbens) was one of my go-to oils when I was struggling with extreme discomfort from a herniated disc years ago. Recently, I became more curious about this amazing smelling oil for two reasons. (1) Someone asked me about its mechanisms and uses. (2) I was...

dr-lobisco.com

 

[AinmAnseo]

For those that can't tolerate ASA orally for whatever reason, methyl salicylate may be a more suitable option. If you can tolerate both and if dosed correctly, why not reap the benefits of both? I love wintergreen oil and I love adding aspirin to tonic water :)

Can straight salicylic acid also be used, internally, at a dose of 100 mg?