In 1550 B.C., Egyptian physicians may have said, "Take two myrtle leaves and call me in the morning." An ancient papyrus scroll indicates that even back then, people used salicylate-rich plants to ease pain. Flash-forward 3,500 years: These days that plant-based ingredient has been refined into what we call aspirin, and it's still making news.

A new metastudy found that a dose of 75 mg to 325 mg of aspirin daily, taken for 10 years between the ages of 50 and 65, bestows more benefits than harm - and the benefits are impressive. Looking at many studies, the researchers found that taking a daily aspirin reduced the number of cases of bowel cancer by 35 percent, esophageal and stomach cancers by 30 percent and prostate cancer by 10 percent. It also lowered the number of deaths from those various cancers between 35 percent and 50 percent. And bigger doses of aspirin didn't offer more protection; it was the length of time (at least five, and optimally 10 years) that conferred the benefits. The downside: Taking aspirin daily ups the risk of digestive tract bleeds among 60-year-olds, although it's still rare.

So, if you're between 50 and 65, talk with your doc about taking aspirin daily, and ask if you should be screened for Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria associated with ulcers. If you're infected, treating it before you start taking aspirin may avoid complications. And remember: Always drink half a glass of warm water before and after taking aspirin. That keeps tablets away from your stomach lining and helps them dissolve quickly.