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.
What's more, studies show that daily doses as low as 81 milligrams -- the amount in a baby aspirin -- can reduce the odds of heart attacks and strokes in people who are at risk. About 25 million Americans take aspirin for heart disease protection every day. But there's a catch. Like any other drug, aspirin has dangers.