Does Guava cause Appendicitis?

Guava fruits [source: pixabay.com]

I was less than ten years old and in the habit of following my peers to the stream every evening in order to fill the various water pots in our house. It was always an exciting period because it gave me the opportunity of playing and chatting with my friends as well as pluck and eat guava fruits, which were found just a small distance away from the stream. Little did I know that the fruit I loved eating so much was going to turn into a much hated enemy.

On this fateful day, we were all in a sober mood because we had just lost an acquaintance to what they called 'appendicitis'. The term did not really make any sense to us back then.

We proceeded to the stream in the evening without the usual chit-chat that normally accompanied the journey. Even though we were hardly talking, everyone had just one thing in mind - get to the stream and pluck guava fruits to munch. We completed our journey to the stream, dropped our various buckets and proceeded to where the guava tree was at. After several attempts at throwing bullets of stones to the fruits, we were able to pluck few. The fruits were shared according to heights as usual, since the popular belief among us then was that the tallest is the eldest.

We all started munching happily, the sweetness of the fruit gradually causing the memory of the deceased to fade away. The evening was about to get exciting, until an elderly man approached us and delivered what seemed like a nuclear bomb then:

"You little kids should stop eating guava, don't you know it causes appendicitis!"

The memory of the death of our acquaintance came flooding back immediately. We all threw our half-eaten guava fruits away and looked at each other in horror. Appendicitis? guava? The cold fusion formula had just been solved!

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Appendix and Appendicitis

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The Appendix

"Appendix" is a term used to describe a certain tissue located in the lower-right abdomen. It is relatively small, sac-like, in the form of a pouch and is known to harbor bacteria. ^[1] This small tissue was initially believed to be of no specific use in the human body. I remember memorizing it in my high school evolution biology class as being an example of a vestigeal organ - a degenerated organ that serves no specific purpose in the organism, even though it might have been useful and well developed in the body of the organism's ancestors.

Digestive structure of human showing the appendix

This belief has turned out to be wrong, due to recent reports from different researchers. According to Loren Martin, a Professor of human physiology at Oklahoma State University, the appendix has been discovered to be useful in synthesizing endocrine cells around the eleventh week of fetus development. These endocrine cells are known to produce peptide hormones and biogenic amines that function in various homeostatic mechanisms. ^[2]

The appendix has also been reported to be immune functioning in human adults, where it functions as lymphoid organ and helps with the development of B-lymphocytes and in the production of immunoglobulin antibodies. ^[3] Additionally, it's involved in the production of bio-molecules that assist in channeling the movement of lymphocytes within the human body.^[2]

With the usefulness unearthed, the era of casual removal and discarding of the appendix during abdominal surgeries is no longer a usual practice among the medical communities.

It has an additional usefulness in surgical reconstructions, when the removal of the urinary bladder is necessary. During this process, a portion of the intestine is folded and reconstructed to serve in place of the bladder, while the appendix is modified to function in the re-creation of the sphincter muscle to control urine flow. In case of a diseased ureter, the appendix can be used as an improvised ureter that permits the movement of urine from the kidney into the bladder.

Appendicitis

Appendicitis is a medical term used to describe the enlargement or inflammation of the appendix tissue. The condition which is peculiar to only humans (animals lack an appendix) is usually accompanied by lower abdominal pain. Other symptoms include fever, loss of appetite, and so on. ^[4]

Studies have been carried out to ascertain the actual cause of this inflammation but up till now, most of the attributed causes are inconclusive. Fecal materials have been thought to be a possible reason. It also been thought to be caused by a blockage of enlarged lymphoid follicles, worms, trauma, and tumors. Appendicitis is cured by surgically removing the appendix. ^[5]

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The Appendicitis-Guava Conspiracy

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Guava is a fruit derived from the plant scientifically known as Psidium guajava. The plant belongs to the family Myrtaceae and is native to Mexico, Central America, and Northern South America. It grows as evergreen shrub or tree of about 3 - 10 meters in height. ^[6]

Psidium guajava plant [source: pixabay.com]

Depending on the variety, the fruit color ranges from green to yellow. The anatomy of the fruit reveals a variable number of seeds, about 3-5 mm long, while the mesocarp is characterized by the presence of small and hard fibrous structures called stone cells (sclereids). These stone cells may cause damages to processing machinery in the guava processing plant. ^[7]

longitudinal section of the guava fruit showing its internal structures

The appendicitis-guava conspiracy stems from the usual superstitious misattributions of cause and effect by African communities. The source of this particular misattribution might probably be due to the fact that the exact cause of appendicitis is not known, even up till today.

It was a popular belief among the communities I grew up in that appendicitis is usually caused by consumption of relatively hard foods, such as we have it in the seeds of the guava fruits. Apart from the guava fruit, swallowing sand and small stone particles was also considered to cause the inflammation. It was really an era of ignorance for the majority of us that are now a bit more enlightened.

Now, you might want to ask me - Do I still eat guava now? Well, my answer is no! I developed a phobia for it since then!

Thanks for reading!

References:
^{[1]on-health: Appendicitis and appendectomy
[2]scientific america: What is the function of the human appendix? Did it once have a purpose that has since been lost?
[3]Janeway CA Jr, Travers P, Walport M, et al. Immunobiology: The Immune System in Health and Disease. 5th edition. New York: Garland Science; 2001. Appendix I. Immunologists' Toolbox. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10755/
[4]health line: what is appendicits?
[5]e-medicine health: appendicitis
[6]feedipedia: Guava
[7]Adel R. Y. El Boushy, A.F.B. van der Poel, Antonius Franciscus Bernadus Poel. Handbook of Poultry Feed from Waste: Processing and Use. Springer Science & Business Media, 30 Sep 2000}