Salivary Amylase. Salivary amylase initiates the digestion of starches, one of the more complex forms of carbohydrate. Secreted in the saliva, salivary amylase breaks down long-chain and branched carbohydrates, known as amylose and amylopectin, into two- and three-molecule sugars called maltose. The individual subunits that make up maltose are glucose, your bodyâs primary fuel source.
Aspirin has many effects because it reduces the bodyâs production of prostaglandins, a hormone-like substance that acts in numerous ways. Reducing prostaglandins diminishes pain and fever and weakens plateletsâ ability to stick together and form clots.
However, pregnant women taking baby aspirin should discontinue it by 36 weeks to prevent abnormal bleeding in the mother or baby. Also, pregnant woman should ensure they take baby -- rather than adult -- aspirin. Full-dose aspirin taken during pregnancy may increase the risk of miscarriage, impair a baby's growth, delay labor or cause a baby to develop heart or lung problems.