Not only is regular aspirin use good for the heart, now it's been found to reduce the incidence of cancer among those genetically predisposed to colon cancer.

A 10-year study recently published in the medical journal The Lancet followed 861 people with Lynch syndrome, an inherited disorder that significantly increases the risk of cancer, especially colon and uterine cancers.

Study participants who received placebo aspirin developed colon cancer at a rate of 30 percent, the research showed, while just 15 percent of the group that received 600 mg of aspirin per day developed colon cancer.

"The effects of aspirin in the first five years of the study were not clear, but in those who took aspirin for between five and ten years the results were very clear," said Patrick Morrison of Queen's University in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Both groups of study participants developed the same number of colon polyps, which are known as precursors of colon cancer, leading researchers to theorize that aspirin may be destroying precancerous cells in the body.

Researchers next plan to hold a trial to gauge the most effective dosage of aspirin for hereditary cancer prevention.

"For anyone considering taking aspirin, I would recommend discussing this with your GP first as aspirin is known to bring with it a risk of stomach complaints, including ulcers," Morrison added.