Even if you know next to nothing about the appendix, chances are you’ve heard one popular rumor. That this tiny organ is essentially useless. As it turns out, this is more than just gossip. Even modern scientists believe that the appendix is gradually becoming obsolete. I mean, removing the appendix (aka appendectomy) is a common medical practice. The little guy must not be too important if a person can remain in perfect health without it. Or can they? Actually, a study published this month shows that there is a connection between losing your appendix and the development of Parkinson’s disease. (1, 2)

What Is The Appendix?

So what is the appendix exactly? And how are the appendix and Parkinson’s disease related? Before we get to the details of this new study, it’s important to answer these pressing questions.

The appendix is a small tube connected to the end of the large intestine, near the small intestine. While its usefulness is fairly unclear, scientists have come to believe that it has two main purposes. The first is to cultivate beneficial bacteria that may assist the digestive system following an illness. The second is to provide possible immune assistance during early life. (1)

What Is Parkinson’s Disease?

Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative brain disorder that causes stiffness, shaking, and difficulty walking and talking. Parkinson’s generally occurs in patients over the age of 60, however, in 5-10% of cases it occurs before the age of 50. This disease develops when a person’s nerve cells, or neurons, begin to die in the part of the brain that controls movement. (3)

What Does The Appendix Have To Do With Parkinson’s Disease?

So if the appendix is a part of the digestive system and Parkinson’s disease occurs in the brain, how on earth are the appendix and Parkinson’s disease related? Well, the reason a person’s neurons begin to die is due to a toxic neuronal protein called α-synuclein. As it turns out, α-synuclein originates in the gastrointestinal tract, which is where the appendix just happens to be as well. This small detail is exactly what lead scientists and researchers to study the relationship between the appendix and Parkinson’s disease in the first place. (4, 5)

An Important Breakthrough

Mohammed Z. Sheriff, MD, is a physician at Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Ohio. He led a very important study regarding the relationship between the appendix and Parkinson’s disease that was published just this month. Sheriff and his team found that of all patients who had appendectomies, 0.92% developed Parkinson’s disease. In contrast, of the patients who did not have their appendix removed, only 0.29% developed Parkinson’s disease. Still think the appendix is worthless? Perhaps there’s a little more to it than meets the medical eye. (6)

What Sets This Study Apart

This study seems to reach an unmistakable conclusion. The appendix plays a huge role in lowering the risk of Parkinson’s disease. The problem is, researchers have performed similar studies in the past few years and received varying results. While some studies agree that appendix removal increased the risk of Parkinson’s, other studies concluded the opposite, or that it made no difference at all. (4, 7, 8, 9)

But one factor sets Sheriff’s study apart from the others. Previous studies used as little as 295 patients in their research, or even as many as 1.6 million. Sheriff, on the other hand, pulled from a whopping 62 million patient records and 26 different health systems for his research. This is by far the largest study to address the relationship between the appendix and Parkinson’s disease, and perhaps by default the most accurate. (4, 6, 7, 8, 9)

Not To Worry

Even with the numbers on Sheriff’s side, the mastermind of this huge study admits that there is still more research to be done on the subject. There is a definite association between removing the appendix and developing Parkinson’s disease. But that’s about as far as this study goes, as the “why” behind it all is still largely unclear. In short, I wouldn’t worry about canceling your appendectomy, especially if you have appendicitis and need that appendix removed. Because who knows? Further research may show that the association is merely a coincidence, and the real culprit was actually the spleen the entire time. (6)