The answer to a mystery is germinating
Researchers think they have figured out what, exactly, the appendix is doing in there, and it's not just taking up space. The theory is that it's a breeding ground for good germs.
That should make us all feel a little guilty, knowing that all this time, we've completely dismissed this little organ. Here it has been providing a beneficial service, laboring along with no appreciation.
According to a recent study published by surgeons and immunologists, the appendix would be responsible for protecting your gut from a complete die-out of all your good bacteria should a disease-style disaster occur. The types of diseases most associated with this type of occurrence would be dysentery and cholera—something we don't see here in our hand-sanitized, Lysol'd, soaped, perfumed and powdered country.
Which means that the actual role of our appendix today is based on where we were born and where we live. Here in our developed country, we don't need its skills so much. Because we live in a society where we have pretty close contact with one another and live in more highly populated areas, we share our germs— which can actually be a good thing. So if your good gut bacteria were to be killed off, you'd be able to borrow from your neighbor and get your gut's germ population back up and running in no time—without any effort on your part.
In less developed countries, the appendix would still play a part in keeping guts stocked with beneficial bacteria. This is how the study's authors explain the lower rate of appendicitis for those countries. The appendix isn't sitting there idle.
That's not to say that if your appendix does act up, you should think twice about having it removed. There are still a few hundred people who die from appendicitis in this country each year, so if it does double you over in pain some day—don't have a second thought about taking it out.
And if you're concerned about keeping a healthy gut stocked with thriving good bacteria, stay tuned for the December issue of my newsletter Health Revelations. You can subscribe here at www.healthrevelations.com. I'll reveal 10 ways to strengthen your gut.
