Spare ribs?

Another little bit of "conventional wisdom" bites the dust. The lowly appendix - that seemingly useless and infection-prone "spare part" that the Creator forgot to leave off the human drawing board - actually has a use. And an important one, at that.

According to new research, the appendix could act as a reservoir for bacteria called commensal bacteria (that's the kind of bacteria you actually want). Commensal bacteria not only maintain a proper balance in the intestines, but may also kill dangerous microbes. The appendix also boosts the ability of commensal bacteria to survive and repopulate the colon after they're depleted by infection or drug treatment.

This research was published in the Journal of Theoretical Biology - and just like it sounds, this publication is chock full of theories and hypotheses and suppositions. But theory or not, common sense will tell you that appendix has a higher calling than simply sitting waiting to "go bad."

Last time I checked - and I'm a doctor, so I checked quite a bit - the human body didn't come with "spare" parts. Everything that we have when we're born was put there for a reason (no matter how long it takes the world's most brilliant scientists to determine what that reason is).

Hearing this, it sure sounds like the appendix can be important, right? So then why has the high-and-mighty medical community so unceremoniously kicked the appendix to the curb? It's because our modern, industrialized culture is a lot cleaner than it used to be (now that's not something you hear me say every day…).

Aside from most hospitals and a few restaurants (I'd name names, but my hands are tied…), the world has come a long way in the clean department. Proper sanitation - clean water, refrigerated food, and efficient disposal of sewage - keep nasty microbes at bay. So these days, there are far fewer for our bodies to fight off than back in the days when we dressed in animal pelts and dragged women around from cave-to-cave by their hair (hey, I didn't do it, I'm just reporting).

As a result, the once critical purpose fulfilled by the appendix simply isn't as important in today's modern society. (Obviously, the same couldn't be said of Third World countries.)

But regardless of how important the appendix may or may not be, one thing's for sure: An infected appendix can be a deadly ailment that, left untreated, can have you pushing up the proverbial daisies in short order. Make no mistake: Once an appendix goes sour, it's got to come out.

The symptoms of appendicitis need to be thoroughly evaluated before doctors start cutting people open and plucking things out. Whatever the appendix is good for, I can guarantee you it's not an "extra" organ - it's a contributor to your health. And you should hang on to it as long as you can. Just the way God intended. Instead of tossing it away like a spare distributor cap on an old engine