Your Appendix – A built in probiotic

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Your Appendix - A built in probiotic

By Emily Brown I PhD CNS

What does my Appendix do?

A healthy appendix can reseed beneficial bacteria into your colon1 following intestinal purging from the flu or food poisoning.  Although long said to be vestigial, the appendix is now recognized to be a “safe storage pouch” for beneficial bacteria2,3 and data collection center for the immune system.4

Where is my Appendix?

To find your appendix, touch your bellybutton with your right thumb and reach for the outer tip of your right hip bone with your pinky.5 If you draw a straight line between your thumb and pinky the attachment point of your appendix to your intestines would be ⅔ of the distance from your belly button to your hip bone.5 

This point is called McBurney’s point and is used for diagnosing appendicitis.5  This is an important location for your digestive system –it is near where your small intestine ends and large intestine begins.2 Near this junction scientists find high microbiome activity.2

What causes Appendicitis?

Constipation, undigested seeds, an immune response, or pin worms6 can cause the opening of the appendix into the intestines to become blocked.5  Once blocked the appendix becomes enlarged due to the accumulation of mucin that is normally released into the large intestine.5

Do I have Appendicitis?

If your appendix is inflamed you may experience lower right abdominal pain.5  The location of pain may move across the lower right abdomen5 because the appendix dangles from Mcburney’s point and the blunted end can be above or below that opening into the colon.  Other accompanying symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and a low grade fever.5

Do I need to have my Appendix removed?

An inflamed appendix is a serious condition and medical monitoring is required,5 but given the function of the appendix in reseeding the microbiome and the risks of appendectomy it is advisable to work with your doctor to save your appendix.7 In many cases an inflamed appendix may spontaneously resolve or a course of antibiotics may bypass the need for an appendectomy.8,7

What should I eat to keep my Appendix healthy?

To keep your appendix healthy eat a diet that has plenty of fiber.9  Without fiber poop hardens and consequently moves slower through the intestines increasing the risk of a poop pellet becoming lodged in the appendix.10  Fruits and vegetables are high in fiber and rich in vitamins and minerals.  These promote good bacteria in your intestines preventing overactivated immune responses another key trigger of appendicitis.  

Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, and Zinc promote intestinal health.

Vitamin C11, Vitamin A12, Vitamin E11, and Zinc13,14  have recently been recognized as especially important for a healthy microbiome. Microbiome wellness is critical to preventing gut inflammation, constipation, and overactivation of your immune response.  Below I will share my personal favorite sources of these vitamins so that you can keep your gut healthy and your appendix happy.

Superfoods for intestinal health

My personal favorite fiber rich source of Vitamin C is the orange. A small orange has 1.8 grams of soluble fiber and 51.1 mg of vitamin C. For Vitamin A my favorite source is liver. I challenge you to eat it once a month and see if you don’t crave it after a year. Here is a link to my favorite recipe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWmUSBai93o.  To make this recipe healthier I substitute the MSG containing bullion cubes with beef or chicken bullion from Whole Foods.  My personal favorite source of Vitamin E is sunflower seeds.  Sunflower seeds have a whopping 8.6 g fiber, 20.78 g protein, 645 mg potassium, 325 mg magnesium, and 5 mg zinc.15 As with all seeds and nuts eat small quantities and chew them well. For zinc my favorite source is the oyster. Oysters are easy to digest, low calorie, low fat, and provide 32 mg of zinc per serving.16

Thanks for stopping by!

I hope you have enjoyed learning about your built in probiotic.  If you have a moment, please leave a comment below and share this content.

References

  1. Randal Bollinger R, Barbas AS, Bush EL, Lin SS, Parker W. Biofilms in the large bowel suggest an apparent function of the human vermiform appendix. J Theor Biol. 2007;249(4):826-831.
  2. Vitetta L, Vitetta G, Hall S. The Brain–Intestinal Mucosa–Appendix– Microbiome–Brain Loop. Diseases. 2018;6(2):23. doi:10.3390/diseases6020023
  3. Laurin M, Everett ML, Parker W. The cecal appendix: one more immune component with a function disturbed by post-industrial culture. Anat Rec . 2011;294(4):567-579.
  4. Gebbers J-O, Laissue J-A. Bacterial translocation in the normal human appendix parallels the development of the local immune system. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2004;1029:337-343.
  5. Merck & Co. , Inc. , Kenilworth, NJ, USA. Merck Manual Professional Version. merckmanuals.com. https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/gastrointestinal-disorders/acute-abdomen-and-surgical-gastroenterology/appendicitis?query=appendicitis. Accessed October 1, 2019.
  6. Tuncer AA, Tanış M, Boz H, Tuncer N, Embleton DB. A Clinical Case of Acute Abdomen Caused by a Pinworm in Appendix: Ultrasound Images – A Case Report. Current Medical Imaging Reviews. 2018;14(6):1017-1019. doi:10.2174/1573405613666170421180400
  7. Blomqvist PG, Andersson REB, Granath F, Lambe MP, Ekbom AR. Mortality After Appendectomy in Sweden, 1987–1996. Annals of Surgery. 2001;233(4):455-460. doi:10.1097/00000658-200104000-00001
  8. Kaminski A. Routine Interval Appendectomy Is Not Justified After Initial Nonoperative Treatment of Acute Appendicitis. Archives of Surgery. 2005;140(9):897. doi:10.1001/archsurg.140.9.897
  9. Arnbjörnsson E, Asp NG, Westin SI. Decreasing incidence of acute appendicitis, with special reference to the consumption of dietary fiber. Acta Chir Scand. 1982;148(5):461-464.
  10. Arnbjörnsson E. Acute Appendicitis and Dietary Fiber. Archives of Surgery. 1983;118(7):868. doi:10.1001/archsurg.1983.01390070076015
  11. Traber MG, Buettner GR, Bruno RS. The relationship between vitamin C status, the gut-liver axis, and metabolic syndrome. Redox Biol. 2019;21:101091.
  12. Bakdash G, TC Vogelpoel L, van Capel TMM, Kapsenberg ML, de Jong EC. Retinoic acid primes human dendritic cells to induce gut-homing, IL-10-producing regulatory T cells. Mucosal Immunol. 2014;8(2):265-278.
  13. El-Tawil AM. Zinc supplementation tightens leaky gut in Crohn’s disease. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2012;18(2):E399.
  14. Mahmood A, FitzGerald AJ, Marchbank T, et al. Zinc carnosine, a health food supplement that stabilises small bowel integrity and stimulates gut repair processes. Gut. 2007;56(2):168-175.
  15. Ld NBR. 10 foods rich in vitamin E. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324308.php. Published January 28, 2019. Accessed October 3, 2019.
  16. West H. Best Foods High in Zinc. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-foods-high-in-zinc. Published April 19, 2018. Accessed October 3, 2019.
  17. Guinane CM, Tadrous A, Fouhy F, et al. Microbial composition of human appendices from patients following appendectomy. MBio. 2013;4(1). doi:10.1128/mBio.00366-12
  18. Im GY, Modayil RJ, Lin CT, et al. The appendix may protect against Clostridium difficile recurrence. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2011;9(12):1072-1077.
  19. Swidsinski A, Dörffel Y, Loening-Baucke V, et al. Mucosal invasion by fusobacteria is a common feature of acute appendicitis in Germany, Russia, and China. Saudi J Gastroenterol. 2012;18(1):55-58.
  20. Swidsinski A, Dörffel Y, Loening-Baucke V, et al. Acute appendicitis is characterised by local invasion with Fusobacterium nucleatum/necrophorum. Gut. 2011;60(1):34-40

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