Month: November 2009

by: Barbi Trejo

(NaturalNews) It has been proven that aloe vera can be used to treat acne, with improvements seen in as little as one week. Acne sufferers can see a remarkable improvement by simply breaking an aloe vera leaf and applying the watery gel to the acne lesions. It should be noted that aloe vera does not "cure" acne, but it greatly reduces the swelling, inflammation and redness associated with acne. Further, if you use the aloe vera every day, it will help prevent acne outbreaks. In addition to treating acne, the hidden secrets of this simple plant are being used for the treatment of many other skin problems.

To increase the vitality of your skin, drink some freshly-squeezed organic aloe vera juice daily. To make aloe vera juice, simply pick the largest leaves from an aloe vera plant in the afternoon, clean away all dirt and debris and process the leaves in your juicer. It is recommended that you drink between 2-4 ounces, twice a day. For added flavor, you can mix the aloe vera juice with some organic carrot juice.

Aloe vera has long been used to treat wounds and burns and to improve the appearance of the skin. This miraculous plant is being used to treat everything from stomach ailments to cancers. According to Father Romano Zago, aloe vera is now being used to cure cancer, and his simple recipe, which utilizes the entire aloe vera leaf, is comprised of three ingredients. This formula has been successful in treating thousands of cancer sufferers.

Some Simple Homemade Remedies Using Aloe Vera:

Acne Treatment – Rub the gel on the affected area twice a day. Your acne will improve within one week.

Body Rub – Cut open an aloe leaf, remove the gel out and rub it all over your body. Rinse off the gel after twenty minutes and feel the difference.

Cold Sores – Apply aloe vera to cold sores twice daily. The symptoms will be resolved within one day and cured within one week.

Diaper Rash – After a warm bath, massage the affected areas with aloe vera gel. You will see results within three days.

Eczema – Create a paste using the leaves of the aloe vera plant and apply to dry skin three times daily. You will see results in one month.

Skin Cancer – Apply the gel liberally to all affected areas. You will see results in three months.

Skin Wounds and Abrasions – Rub the gel onto wounds or abrasions twice a day. Improvement and healing will be observed within three days.

Power-Packed Energizing Green Smoothie Recipe:

1 cup of water
1 cup of spinach
1 banana
1 pear or any fruit you desire
1 leaf (enough to make 2-4 ounces of juice) of an aloe vera plant (the whole leaf)
1 tablespoon of raw honey
2 tablespoons of ground olive leaf

For a delicious, energizing green smoothie, blend all the ingredients for one minute and enjoy.

Warnings and Precautions for Using Aloe Vera:

1. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not use the exterior portion of aloe vera leaves for treating ailments or creating drinks.

2. People who have hemorrhoids, ulcers, diverticulosis, colitis, Crohn's disease or irritable bowel syndrome should not use aloe vera without first consulting a physician.

3. Be cautious when using aloe vera as a laxative, as it may cause digestive problems.

Utopia Naturals Soap
Soothing Silver Gel

by: Sherry Baker

(NaturalNews) This may well be remembered as the year medical "facts" about prostate cancer were shown to be riddled with wrong assumptions and downright myths. As readers of NaturalNews know, for example, recent studies have shown little if any benefit to regular prostate cancer screening tests with hundreds of thousands of men being over-diagnosed and over-treated with a potentially deadly malignancy when they actually have no lethal disease. Now comes even more startling news about the wrong-headedness of standard prostate cancer care.

It is common for men with elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels to face biopsies. But scientists at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have discovered that elevated PSA measurements are not necessarily potential signs of prostate cancer at all. Instead, they can simply be caused by a hormone normally occurring in healthy bodies.

According to a study just published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, the researchers discovered that parathyroid hormone, which the body produces to regulate blood levels of calcium, can raise PSA levels in healthy men who do not have prostate cancer. Unfortunately, elevated PSA levels currently set off alarm bells in the mainline medical establishment, leading many men to be biopsied and then treated unnecessarily with surgery, chemo, radiation, and/or emasculating hormones.

"PSA picks up any prostate activity, not just cancer," said lead investigator Gary G. Schwartz, Ph.D., M.P.H., an associate professor of cancer biology, epidemiology and prevention at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, in a statement to the press. "Inflammation and other factors can elevate PSA levels. If the levels are elevated, the man is usually sent for a biopsy. The problem is that, as men age, they often develop microscopic cancers in the prostate that are clinically insignificant. If it weren't for the biopsy, these clinically insignificant cancers, which would never develop into fatal prostate cancer, would never be seen."

The research team investigated data from 1,273 men who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2005 to 2006. At the time of the survey, none of the research subjects reported any current infection or inflammation of the prostate gland, prostate biopsy in the past month, or history of prostate cancer. The scientists adjusted their findings for age, race and obesity because PSA levels rise with age, are higher in African-American men, and lower in overweight males.

The results? The higher the level of parathyroid hormone measured in the blood, the higher the PSA levels. And when men had parathyroid levels that were normal, but at the high end of the normal scale, their PSA measurements were increased by 43% — a range that, when seen by most urologists, would be used to justify immediate biopsies. The bottom line, according to Dr. Schwartz: "It's likely that there are a lot of men out there with elevated PSAs that may be due to elevated parathyroid hormone rather than prostate cancer."

The findings are especially important for black men, the researchers stated, because about 20% of them have high parathyroid hormone levels compared to about 10% of Caucasians. And that results in African-American men being placed at a higher risk for unnecessary biopsies and over-treatment.

Laurel Rose OPC
IP-6
IntraMax

by: Mike Adams

(NaturalNews) The CDC now reports that nearly 4,000 Americans have been killed by H1N1 swine flu. This number is supposed to sound big and scary, motivating millions of people to go out and pay good money to be injected with untested, unproven H1N1 vaccines. But let's put the number in perspective: Did you know that more than four times as many people are killed each year by common NSAID painkillers like aspirin?

by: Mike Adams

(NaturalNews) There are many superfoods that boost immune function, but few do it with as much potency as bee pollen. Through its unique combination of minerals, vitamins, amino acids and enzymes, bee pollen offers one of the most revitalizing natural superfoods in the world (especially when collected from local bees who are in tune with your local environment).

We've put together a collection of research for you here, describing the health benefits of bee pollen. NaturalNews reminds everyone to be mindful when consuming bee products due to the very high stresses already placed on honeybees in North America and Europe. Make sure your source practices organic bee farming and does not expose honeybees to high-fructose corn syrup or other chemicals that may be harmful to bee populations.

Bee pollen and your immune system
Bee pollen has been used throughout history as a superfood to restore energy and recuperative powers to the ailing individual. Bee pollen improves allergies in many individuals, and hence may have a regulating effect on the immune system by helping to dampen unnecessary autoimmune attacks which saves immune warriors for the real cancer battle. There is no toxicity to bee pollen. Other bee products with extraordinary healing properties include royal bee jelly and propolis, which is the antibiotic compound used by bees to disinfect their hives before occupation.
– Beating Cancer with Nutrition by Patrick Quillin, PhD,RD,CNS

While the effects are not so dramatic for everyone with arthritis, bee pollen is used by natural healthcare practitioners around the world to help alleviate arthritis symptoms. Energy Boost: Bee pollen is a popular supplement among many athletes, who report that it helps them train hard and recover quickly. Many athletes report that it helps increase stamina. Immune Support: Bee pollen is reported to help strengthen the immune system. People susceptible to reoccurring colds and respiratory tract infections may be helped.
– The Natural Physician's Healing Therapies by Mark Stengler, N.D.

Bee pollen has more amino acids and vitamins than other amino-acid-containing products like beef, eggs, or cheese. Bee pollen is one of the few vegetable sources of vitamin B12 (Scheer 1992). A tablespoonful of bee pollen contains about 45 calories and is 15% lecithin (which is required for normal fat metabolism) by weight (Kamen 1991).
– PDR for Herbal Medicines, Fourth Edition by Thomson Healthcare, Inc.

Bee pollen's natural phenylalanine content acts as an appetite suppressant. Bee pollen helps build the immune system and provides energy for the entire body. It contains 35% protein, 55% carbohydrate, 2% fatty acids and 3% minerals and vitamins. It is high in B-complex and vitamins A, C, D and E and contains lecithin. Where to buy it: Health food stores, in the refrigerated section. Bee pollen is actually many small granules similar to the size of a grain of wheat or quinoa and is usually sold in a plastic container.
– Get Balanced-the Natural Way to Better Health with Superfoods by Jan Lovejoy

Like other bee products, bee pollen has an antimicrobial effect. In addition, it is useful for combating fatigue, depression, cancer, and colon disorders. It is also helpful for people with allergies because it strengthens the immune system. It is best to obtain bee pollen from a local source, as this increases its antiallergenic properties. Fresh bee pollen should not cling together or form clumps, and it should be sold in a tightly sealed container. Some people (an estimated 0.05 percent of the population) may be allergic to bee pollen.
– Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 4th Edition: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC

The human consumption of bee pollen dates back to antiquity; it was frequently used in the Olympic games in ancient Greece. Today bee pollen is gaining increasing popularity as effective protection against many of the common pollutants in the environment, including carbon monoxide, lead, and mercury. Bee pollen is used to treat allergies, since it desensitizes the individual. There have also been studies showing that bee pollen strengthens the resistance of the immune system to both cancer and radiation.
– Optimum Health – A Cardiologist's Prescription for Optimum Health by Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D.

Bee Pollen Description: Bee pollen is the pollen produced by flowering plants, which clings to bees as they gather nectar. Bee pollen contains many vitamin and minerals, as well as flavonoids such as rutin and quercitin. It is thought that the minute amounts of pollens desensitize a person for the same pollen allergies.
– Prescription for Natural Cures: A Self-Care Guide for Treating Health Problems with Natural Remedies Including Diet and Nutrition, Nutritional Supplements, Bodywork, and More by James F. Balch, M.D. and Mark Stengler, N.D.

Some bee pollen products are tainted with contaminants from air pollution (pesticides, herbicides) and environmental chemicals (heavy metals). Therefore, I advise that you only use a product from a company that uses a quality bee pollen source and tests their product to make absolutely sure it is not contaminated.
– The Natural Physician's Healing Therapies by Mark Stengler, N.D.

Bee pollen is another potent antiradiation food as well as a general health enhancer. Bee pollen helps to support the immune system and protects both red and white blood cells against their usual depletion from radiation. Bee pollen is also high in vitamins A, B, C, and E, nucleic acids, lecithin, cysteine, and vital minerals such as selenium, calcium, and magnesium. All of these nutrients contribute in their own way in helping to protect against radiation.
– Conscious Eating by Gabriel Cousens, M.D.

These enzymes may be a key to long life: one study showed that many centenarians in the republic of Georgia were beekeepers who regularly consumed raw honey, complete with pollen. Bee pollen is packed with amino acids (twenty-two, including all the essential ones), vitamins, minerals, hormones, fatty acids, and thousands of enzymes. Bee pollen has been found to be effective in treating allergies, bacterial infections, asthma, capillary weakness, chronic fatigue, immune depression, menopausal symptoms, nutritional disorders, prostate problems, chronic cystitis, and urinary tract infections.
– Whole Foods Companion: A Guide For Adventurous Cooks, Curious Shoppers, and lovers of natural foods by Dianne Onstad

Research dating back to 1948 found that animals whose diets were supplemented with bee pollen had a significantly lower tumor incidence. A study in Nature reported that royal jelly (derived from pollen) protected all mice injected with cancer cells for longer than 12 months, in contrast to those in the control group, injected with the same number of cancer cells, all of which died within 12 days. In studies of women suffering from inoperable uterine cancer, those given bee pollen were found to maintain strong immune systems and to suffer less from nausea, hair loss, and fatigue.
– Alternative Medicine the Definitive Guide, Second Edition by Larry Trivieri, Jr.

One of the flavonoids found in bee pollen is the powerful anti-inflammatory quercetin. And a paper in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology in 2005 found that propolis stimulates antibody production, perhaps accounting for its reputation as an immune-system enhancer. Royal Jelly: Royal jelly is a special creamy substance secreted from the nurse worker bees that stimulates the growth and development of the queen bee; without it, she'd just be a regular old worker bee.
– The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.

Bee pollen can be wonderful for improving focus, if the child is not allergic to bee stings. It is especially high in B vitamins, which are essential for good mental health. Vitamin E with selenium aids circulation, as do choline and inositol. Moreover, vitamin C, an effective free radical scavenger, builds the immune system and improves circulation. Research suggests that the amino acid L-glutamine is helpful for anyone with mental and emotional problems.
– The Complete Encyclopedia of Natural Healing: A Comprehensive A-Z Listing of Common and Chronic Illnesses and Their Proven Natural Treatments by Gary Null, Ph.D.

Your adrenals, which really take a beating from stress, can be strengthened with green drinks, sea vegetables, licorice, bee pollen, royal jelly, and ginseng. Many herbs have antioxidant properties that help combat free radical damage related to an immune system weakened by stress.
– The Super Anti-Oxidants: Why They Will Change the Face of Healthcare in the 21st Century by James F. Balch, M.D.

Since bee pollen is so high in nutrients, you might want to take it if you're detoxifying. When you detoxify, you reduce the intake of foods that normally keep your immune system in good working order.
– The Natural Physician's Healing Therapies by Mark Stengler, N.D.

One good source of B vitamins is bee pollen, unless there is an allergy to bee stings. Other good sources are green algae and the bioflavonoid pycnogenol. And taking pycnogenol daily (60 mg) has the side benefit of keeping the skin healthy and young. Vitamin A is healing to the skin as well, and preventive against infections. Another important nutrient is coenzyme Q10, which provides oxygen to the tissues, helping them to heal. Herbs: There is an abundance of herbs that support the immune system before or during an outbreak.
– The Complete Encyclopedia of Natural Healing: A Comprehensive A-Z Listing of Common and Chronic Illnesses and Their Proven Natural Treatments by Gary Null, Ph.D.

Gourmet Star Thistle Honey

by: Frank Mangano

(NaturalNews) Yet another study is linking the consumption of high fructose corn syrup to poor health, this time in the form of increased risk for hypertension. Quick, someone alert the Corn Refiners Association so they can issue a denial!

You really got to hand it to the Corn Refiners Association; they don't take negative publicity lightly. The moment a study is published that even vaguely brandishes high fructose corn syrup as adversely affecting health, they throw out a press release faster than a scandal-ridden politician. The latest example of this came this past September, when the American Heart Association reported that men who ate diets high in sugar significantly increased their risk for hypertension.

In a press release, leaders for the CRA pooh-poohed the study, saying that "pure fructose is not how sweeteners are consumed by real people" and that studies like these "don't reflect what Americans eat."

Well, the CRA is either stuck in the past or living in a fantasy world, because the use of HFCS has increased four times over since 1909 and by 30 percent as recently as 1989. From crackers to raisins, cans of soda to cans of soup, high fructose corn syrup is in virtually EVERY list of ingredients. Even for consumers that are vigilant about steering clear of it, it's hard not to avoid. In short, contrary to what the CRA thinks, Americans DO eat high fructose corn syrup because they've made it next to impossible not to.

Meanwhile, as the Corn Refiners Association breathlessly defends its "natural" product, even they acknowledge that a diet high in HFCS is not advisable. "Just be sure to eat it in moderation," they say, blind to the fact that its ubiquity makes "moderate HFCS consumption" a tough task, indeed.

It was certainly a tough task for the 4,700+ people that filled out food frequency questionnaires for some University of Colorado researchers. Despite the fact that the participants didn't have a prior history with hypertension, the researchers found that people consuming 74 grams of fructose a day increased their risk for hypertension by 28 percent.

Now, 74 grams sounds like a lot, but that's the amount found in two and a half servings of soda (or one 20 oz. bottle). Translation? The fact that the CRA has cornered the market on virtually every food and beverage that's not organic suggests most people are probably consuming way more than 74 grams of HFCS per day already! And that's bad news; because as the researchers found in their sample, people that consumed more than 74 grams of HFCS per day increased their risk for hypertension by almost 90 percent!

The full details of the study were recently published by the American Society of Nephrology.

The CRA will deny it, but the rise of HFCS use has mirrored the rise of health issues like obesity and diabetes. Sure, HFCS may not be entirely to blame for this, but that's like saying the getaway driver in a bank heist isn't entirely to blame for the theft; if you contribute to it, you share the blame for it. Will the CRA share some of the blame? Pardon the pun, but don't bank on it. It'll be the standard defense they throw out for the dozens of studies that have indicted HFCS for the health hazards it is: "Deny, deny, deny."

For those of us who see through the CRA's shenanigans, the evidence can no longer be denied.

Gourmet Star Thistle Honey

by: S. L. Baker

(NaturalNews) You probably know that getting enough fiber in your diet can keep constipation at bay and it can lower high cholesterol levels, too. Now Australian researchers have found another reason why the indigestible part of plant-based foods, known as roughage, is good for you — it plays an important role in keeping your immune system healthy and in preventing specific diseases.

When fiber moves through the digestive tract it remains mostly unchanged, working as a type of internal broom. Then, in the colon, bacteria interact with roughage. Fermentation takes place, producing compounds called short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) which are known to help soothe ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory gut condition. Probiotics and prebiotics, beneficial bacteria found in kefir, yogurt and nutritional supplements, affect the healthy balance of gut bacteria and have been documented to help the symptoms of two other inflammatory diseases, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.

But what is the connection between fiber, "good" intestinal bacteria and the healing of disorders marked by inflammation? In a study just published in the science journal Nature, Sydney-based scientists say they've found the answer to that question. They've discovered a mechanism that explains how a plant-based diet rich in fiber works with beneficial gut bacteria and the immune system to promote health and potentially prevent a host of diseases.

Kendle Maslowski, a PhD student, and Professor Charles Mackay from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, working in collaboration with the Co-operative Research Center for Asthma and Airways, have demonstrated that a molecule dubbed GPR43 expressed by immune cells and previously shown to bind SCFAs reduces inflammation. They found that mice lacking the GPR43 gene have increased, unresolved inflammation in their bodies because their immune cells can't bind to and use SCFAs.

So how does this information translate into helping human health? "We're now beginning to understand that from the moment you're born, it's incredibly important to be colonized by the right kinds of gut bacteria. The kinds of foods you eat directly determine the levels of certain bacteria in your gut," Maslowski explained in a statement to the press. "Changing diets are changing the kinds of gut bacteria we have, as well as their by-products, particularly short-chain fatty acids. If we have low amounts of dietary fiber, then we're going to have low levels of short chain fatty acids, which we have demonstrated are very important in the immune systems of mice."

Professor Mackay pointed out in the press statement that the notion what you eat might have profound effects on immune responses and inflammatory diseases has never been taken seriously enough. "We believe that changes in diet, associated with western lifestyles, contribute to the increasing incidences of asthma, Type 1 diabetes and other autoimmune diseases. Now we have a new molecular mechanism that might explain how diet is affecting our immune systems," he stated.

The scientists conclude that their current research provides compelling reasons to eat a diet rich in unprocessed whole foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds. "The role of nutrition and gut intestinal bacteria in immune responses is an exciting new topic in immunology, and recent findings including our own open up new possibilities to explore causes as well as new treatments for inflammatory diseases such as asthma," said Professor Mackay.

Probiotics
Enzyme Plus

by: S. L. Baker

(NaturalNews) Acetaminophen, the pain reliever and fever reducer found in Tylenol and many other over-the-counter as well as prescription drugs (such as Lortab), is often hyped for its supposed safety — specifically because it doesn't cause stomach upset as often as aspirin. However, in recent years, it has become clear that acetaminophen can cause liver damage and, when combined with alcohol, stomach bleeding. Now comes another warning: researchers have linked the drug's use to an increase in asthma and wheezing in both children and adults.

According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), asthma affects 16 million adults and nearly 7 million children in the US. It is, in fact, the most common serious chronic disease of childhood. A respiratory disease of the lungs, it is marked by episodes of inflammation and narrowing of the lower airways in response to asthma triggers which include infectious agents, stress, cigarette smoke, air pollution, dust mites and pollen. A new study just published in the November issue of Chest, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians, suggests acetaminophen can also be an important asthma trigger.

Canadian researchers at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia, conducted a detailed analysis of 19 clinical studies which contained information linking asthma and/or wheezing to taking acetaminophen. In all, a huge number of research subjects — 425,140 — were included in these studies.

The results of the investigation showed the odds of having asthma were significantly raised among people who took the pain reliever. The analysis specifically showed a worrisome risk of asthma in children who had been given acetaminophen in the year prior to their asthma diagnosis or in the first year of life. And the findings raised another red flag concerning the use of acetaminophen by pregnant women. The study results showed an increase in the risk of asthma and wheezing in children if their mothers had taken the drug prenatally.

Writing in Chest, the researchers called for future studies to further confirm their analysis. They concluded: "The results of our review are consistent with an increase in the risk of asthma and wheezing in both children and adults exposed to acetaminophen."

In addition to skipping acetaminophen, if you or your child suffer from asthma you could benefit from taking probiotics. As Mike Adams recently reported in NaturalNews (http://www.naturalnews.com/027273_a…), the anti-inflammatory and immune regulating properties of "good" intestinal bacteria can be beneficial for those with asthma.

by: David Gutierrez

(NaturalNews) A bill that would grant the FDA expanded authority to inspect farms has come under fire from ranchers and farmers concerned about increased government interference in their operations.

In response to a recent series of food-borne illness outbreaks, a bill has been approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee that would allocate more money and authority to the FDA to fulfill its current food safety duties. Although technically the bill would not expand the FDA's authority to foods currently supervised by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) – meat, poultry and some egg products – many farmers and their advocates are concerned that the language of the bill is too vague to ensure against this.

"Live animals are not 'food' until the point of processing, which is why this bill needs to clarify that the FDA does not have regulatory authority on our farms, ranches and feedlots," said Sam Ives of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

Even though the USDA has been involved in several recent recalls of beef products, its inspection procedures are usually considered stricter than the FDA's, and the agency's inspection program is also better funded. This has spared the USDA the criticism the FDA has faced after recent recalls of peanut butter, hot peppers and spinach.

FDA Senior Adviser on Food Safety Mike Taylor said that the agency already inspects some farms as part of its duties to supervise egg, vegetable and animal feed production. He noted that the FDA and the USDA have also cooperated in the past, such as on the issue of mad cow disease, and promised that the law will not change any agency's jurisdiction. Not everyone was reassured, however.

"We are a little skeptical of FDA," said Rep. Collin Peterson, Chair of the House Agricultural Committee. "We are very concerned about them getting involved in grain farms, livestock farms."

by: S. L. Baker

(NaturalNews) The appendix is a small, tube-like organ located in the lower right area of the abdomen and attached to the first part of the colon. Researchers have theorized this seemingly superfluous bit of our internal body is simply a remnant of the time when early humans ate a huge amount of plant matter. The appendix, the theory goes, once helped with fermentation and digestion of all that roughage ancient hominids consumed. But when it comes to modern-day humans, mainstream medicine says the appendix has no known function and is virtually useless. However, the latest research suggests it is this idea that should be thrown away — not the human appendix.

Sure, an appendix can sometimes become blocked and inflamed, a condition known as appendicitis. And if not treated, an appendix in this state can rupture and spread life-threatening infection into the body. So, following their belief the appendix is nothing but a potential liability, doctors are often willing and even enthusiastic about removing a perfectly healthy appendix.

A case in point: a study by University of Miami gynecologists and obstetricians, published in 2003 in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology concluded the removal of an appendix (a procedure dubbed an appendectomy) at the time of "benign gynecologic procedures does not increase postoperative complication rates or length of hospital stay." So, based on the fact cutting out a healthy appendix didn't result in longer hospital stays or more immediate post-surgery problems, the doctors recommended routinely including appendectomies in all abdominal hysterectomies in order to avoid any possibility of appendicitis in a woman's lifetime.

But what if the appendix has remained in humans for thousands upon thousands of years for a reason? What if your appendix helps sustain health? What if it is better to keep all your original parts — including organs — when possible, and that includes your appendix? There's growing evidence the appendix isn't just a useless piece of tissue. And new research is showing it could, in fact, play an important role in keeping the gastrointestinal tract healthy and the immune system strong.

Recently, scientists have found evidence the appendix may play a role in helping the immune system by maintaining internal flora found in the human gut known as symbiotic bacteria. These bacteria live in symbiosis (meaning they maintain a close ecological relationship) with other organisms in the digestive tract. For example, symbiotic bacteria may work together to help break down fiber containing foods and they may also help produce vitamins.

In a study published October 22nd in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology, researchers from the University of Arizona College of Medicine and Arizona State University concluded that the appendix does have a purpose. It is a highly specialized organ that has been maintained in mammalian evolution for 80 million years or more. The reason? To harbor symbiotic bacteria essential for health. The scientists call the appendix a kind of "safe-house for symbiotic gut microbes" that probably evolved to preserve health-protecting internal flora during times of gastrointestinal infection. "This function is potentially a selective force for the evolution and maintenance of the appendix, and provides an impetus for reassessment of the evolution of the appendix," the scientists stated.