Dr. Mercola July 08 2008 68,112 views
Your appendix is a small dead-end tube connected to a section of your large intestine. It has long been thought to be a vestigial remnant of some other organ, but there is little evidence for an appendix in our evolutionary ancestors. Few mammals have any appendix at all, and the appendices of those that do bears little resemblance to the human one.
Some researchers now believe that the appendix is a “safe house” for commensal bacteria, the symbiotic germs that aid digestion and help protect against disease-causing germs.
The appendix is isolated from the rest of the gut, with an opening smaller than a pencil lead. In times of trouble, such as an infection that flushes the system, these commensal bacteria could hide out there, ready to repopulate the gut when the danger is past.
Biofilms, colonies of beneficial microbes, form in your large intestine. They aid digestion and protect against infection, while enjoying the protection and nutrition of the human host. Researchers have found biofilms on the epithelial lining of the appendix as well.
Appendicitis can indeed be life threatening and is not something to be taken lightly. About 300 to 400 Americans die, and about 321,000 are hospitalized due to appendicitis each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
However, the idea that your appendix is a completely useless organ that can be removed without consequence is definitely naive. I don’t believe human beings are born with any unnecessary parts that can be thoughtlessly removed as an aside during surgery.
As this research indicates, your appendix most likely does serve an important function by producing and protecting the good bacteria in your gut. And, since 80 percent of your immune system resides in your gut, being able to maintain a healthy balance of good bacteria in your intestines is vital to your health.
Granted, this function may be slightly less crucial for life today than a hundred years ago when intestinal disease epidemics were far more common. For example, between 1908 and 1912, the appendicitis rate was about 107 cases per 1 million people in the United States, compared to just over 1 case per 1 million people today.
That said, your appendix is STILL a useful organ, so please don’t fall for the advice to have it removed “because it has no purpose.” There are times when it is necessary to do so, because if you fail to remove it you will die from massive infection. But there’s just no reason to remove your appendix simply because you’re having abdominal surgery -- unrelated to your appendix -- done.
It makes perfect sense that your appendix may help regulate your intestinal good bacteria. And, hopefully, now that this function for the appendix has been recognized, surgeons will stop removing healthy appendixes for no reason.
Has the Modern World Eliminated Your Need for the Appendix?
Personally, I do not agree with the researchers’ conclusions that your appendix is unnecessary in the modern world because, as they say, you can easily repopulate the good bacteria in your gut.Why? Because your good bacteria is constantly being assaulted by antibiotics, chlorinated water, birth control pills, stress, sugar, and a host of other environmental factors, which has made digestive problems extremely common, even if people are not actually dying from epidemic intestinal disease that completely wipes out their healthy bacteria.Ideally, your gut should contain a ratio of 85 percent good bacteria to 15 percent non-beneficial bacteria. But the factors I listed above have actually caused this ratio to reverse in many people, leaving them clearly deficient in good bacteria and hence more predisposed to illness.
This is why I often recommend that you use a high-quality probiotic as an “insurance policy” to make sure your body is properly balanced, particularly if you don’t lead a perfectly healthy lifestyle, or when traveling and eating unfamiliar foods.Who Knows What Other Functions Your Appendix Might Have…
Another thing to keep in mind is that there is simply no way to know what OTHER subtle but far-reaching effects your appendix has on your body functions. At least one negative side effect has already been uncovered from having your appendix removed -- an increased risk of Crohn’s disease. Unfortunately, we may never know what these other beneficial factors are, because as William Parker, the senior author of the study, said about doing further research to prove this current theory about the benefit of the appendix:
“… an experiment to prove this theory would be very expensive. And in any case, why would you want to spend money to find out something that is not likely to help cure a disease?”
Folks, that’s the reality inherent in modern, conventional medical research. It’s not done to figure out how your body works or how it can heal itself, per se. Research is ultimately done for the purpose of designing drugs so a profit can be generated. U.S. research does not want to spend research dollars to determine why you really need your appendix and should limit surgical removal.
When Should You Opt for an Appendectomy?It’s important to point out, as I said earlier, that there are cases when an appendectomy can save your life, because once your appendix becomes infected or inflamed, it is life threatening.
Here are some major warning signs that your appendix might be in trouble:
I love reading Dr. Mercolas articles and learning about my body. I have learned a lot from him and have learned enough that I started my own diet and lost 27 lbs since March. My Gaul Bladder was taken out during a surgery in 2003. I have never noticed any change. In fact I have been learning more and more about keeping my health up. I used to be sick all the time.
The only thing that makes me mad is when I start to read comments on the articles, which used to be good.. They now always end up going to some Religious comment. This is not a religious forum it is a Health Forum. I have my own beliefs, I do not need to bring them up all the time to everyone I meet. no one needs to be beat over the head with someone's religious beliefs when on here. If you want to talk about religion please go to a religious forum and talk all day about it. You people can make every subject you interact with about religion, that is the way religion is designed. Please let it go and talk about your health and your body, not religion. I am sure now that you all think I am going to go to hell for asking you to not talk about it, even though I did say I had beliefs, you will assume that I am an atheist and need saving.. Assume all you want, just do it somewhere else. LOL..
CrowSnake, Thanks for saying that. I totally agree.
Hello, CrowSnake....These are just our loving expresses, no harm meant to anyone.Just as you feel you have to express your feelings. I'm sorry you find it to be so offensive, I wouldn't what to attack you for your feelings. Some find it to be encouraging to know someone else feel's the same way.I think most of us wouldn't want you be angry for our feelings, it's just a expression of who we are inside. So please look over our comments if you find it to be so offensive, if it's not for you move on to the next comment. And like you, I also enjoy Dr, mercola's news letters, they can be very informative at times...So let us all share that joy together. That makes us whole as a group for we are all looking for good health RIGHT!!!.......KC
CrowSnake,
Censorship is not the American way. If someone is living by their faith, then that person has every right to bring it into any conversation of any forum. If you don't like it, tough. In case you didn't know, that's what freedom of speech is all about. You have every right not to listen, but you violate the 1st amendment when you discriminate and think you can tell other free Americans what they can and can't say, or when you try to regulate when and where they can or can't say it. Move to a communist country if you want everyone to keep their mouths shut when you find it offensive to see people of faith SHARING THEIR FAITH and expressing themselves! I'm sick and tired of the liberal agenda having infected so many people with this anti-American rhetoric that has been indoctrinated into every facet of society, disguised as "the fairness doctrine". Or, you can just wait till Obama gets elected and he brings forth his "change".
To jgruber
I do not find it relevant to the discussion that I am a confirmed agnostic, so I keep it to myself.... except that you raised the free speech issue. As far as the anti-American connection, that is as big a red herring as I have heard. I have made my views known on the American economy known on this forum. I believe the American economy and way of life is healthy. I have riled against what I consider unfounded criticisms of the Fed and the American financial system on this forum. I have observed how many developing nations suffer through corruption and financial mismanagement and realise howe good we have it here. Of course, we are all appalled by the subprime crisis, but by and large our country works well.
What appalls me is that I am labelled anti-American because I have liberal views. This is an offensive and totally inapproriate characterization, as my comments illustrate.
So I get negative points for expressing my view in a clear headed manner. This show how intolerant the religious right is.
The "intolerance" thing goes both ways, as evidenced here by how the people who mention religion are being suppressed. People find it hard to tolerate what they don't understand, and that's EVERYONE, not just a certain faction.
CrowSnake, I totally agree with you about religion being too much a part of the comments at times. And jgruber, your comment expresses a lot of the root problem. It's like you guys feel it's your duty and right to be able to share your faith in a forum that's not even focused on religious matters. And if someone calls you on it you start claiming censorship, the liberal agenda, anti-American views, etc.
What if I wanted to talk all the time about the latest Wii games coming out on this forum? Would somebody eventually tell me to cool it off because this is a health forum and not a gaming forum? Probably. Should I then launch into claims of being censored, my first amendment rights being trampled on, and tell people who don't want to hear my thoughts to just ignore them? Well, that's exactly what's happening in this thread.
Listen, you're free to believe whatever you want. But bringing your religious views into every venue is like smoking in the non-smoking section of a restaurant just because you feel like it. It's just rude and lacks common courtesy. Unless the article is focusing on religion, talking about it all the time is out of place.
Great points here - My husband also had his removed not knowing the importances of it's job,your immune system. Now his immune system is weak, so we've been trying to work on it for a few years. One thing that he does differently now is he drink's kombucha that he first bought now he makes his own, and we eat a lot of organic food, plus other changes. This really seems to have helped him, he hardly gets a cold now or sick, plus he had lyme disease and has NO flare up's at all from that, which was very bad. Like it was mentioned God doesn't throw parts in us for nothing, so everything helps the next organ to work correctly!
Thank you...KC
My wife says I have a part that is totally useless? I am going to keep it anyway.
Thats very funny dpmsurf. It very nice that you can take it so lightly. lol
Not only should we be keeping those "useless" appendices, but also those "useless" tonsils, adenoids, post menopausal ovaries, gall bladders, etc. etc. etc....
Isn't it interesting how all the organs we "don't" need just happen to be the ones that keep our immune systems strong?
Keep eating plenty of live food for a healthy gut.
www.cure-my-fatigue.com
Humanity's lack of understanding in certain fields is not evidence for any supernatural designer. This is known as The God of the Gaps fallacy.
For example, ancient Scandinavians who did not know what caused thunder and lightning chose to see them as evidence for their own chief deity, Thor, driving his chariot through the sky and hammering with Miolnir. Modern arguments are no different.
The weakness of "God of the Gaps" methodology is that the existence of a designer is, of course, endangered whenever gaps are filled.
I think Seg's point was that God didn't make any mistakes when He created us, not that a lack of understanding is evidence of the existence of God. It's funny that people think that mankind has evolved when in actuality we have devolved. Can anyone tell me how the pyramids were made or how it was possible for the Myans to know the celestial calender without a telescope or how they built their cities without metal tools or how they came up with one of the most simple ways of communicating math?
Apoztel - regarding Man devolving: progress is made when we build on what those before us have figured out. Unfortunately, the cultures you mentioned didn't leave us their secrets so later groups could build upon them. Who knows how many times fire was "discovered" before someone was willing to teach others how to make it.
I don't believe God made us in His image so we could degrade...if that's the case, then Mary, the mother of Jesus, would be less evolved than Eve...
I just love learning that God built our bodies to work!
Not to mention, figuring out Longitude some 10,000 years before King George the Third. God is perfect. The human body has all the parts it needs to fully function here on Earth in a variety of environments. :)
Take one of those parts away, and the living system needs to work harder to make up the difference. Tonsils, Adenoids, and the appendix all have their roles to play in maintaining the health of the body.
Adventure Mom,
The Myans did leave us there "secrets", unfortunately the Conquistadors burned almost all their books.
Adam and Eve were made in the image of God, but that was before sin. If man is not devolving then why are we not living as long as they used before the flood? Why are more susceptible to disease now then they were. The bible says that Goliath was a giant, and I don't think that he was as tall as a skyscraper or anything like that, but whens the last time you saw anyone and said that they were a giant? Not only that, but there was a whole race of giants that the Israelites were afraid to go to battle against.
Mary was the mother of Jesus because she was highly favored of God, not because she was more evolved then Eve.