I know what you’re thinking: is there a right way to poop? The answer is yes. And here in the West we are not used to it. I also know that we already talked about this some time ago, but this time it is not a commercial product that claims it, but science itself. In addition, we were in need of an eschatological publication.
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Scientific research suggests that we shouldn’t sit down to defecate, but rather squat. And these difficulties began with the invention of the toilet.
“The 1.2 billion people around the world who have almost no incidences of diverticulitis and have fewer problems with hemorrhoids,” German microbiologist Giulia Enders tells The Guardian.
Diverticulitis occurs when small pockets – between 5 and 10 millimeters – form in the colon, while hemorrhoids are inflamed blood vessels around the anus. Both conditions are caused by the effort to push the excrement outwards.
The study.
Israeli physician Dov Sikirov tested the crouching position against the sitting position in a 2003 study. The volunteers were invited to defecate in one of two positions, while Sikirov took notes (a bit awkward, isn’t it?).
Those who defecated while crouching took an average of 50 seconds and reported a feeling of complete emptying of the bowel, while those who sat took 130 seconds and rated the experience as less satisfactory.
Enders claims that squatting places less pressure on the colon than standing or sitting defecation. Our gut is not designed to open fully in those positions – it forms an angle between where the stool is and where it should come out (like the curve of a road). And, just like a car, our poop requires decelerating to get past it.) Squatting straightens that angle and removes the impact.
What to do?
In case you don’t dare to start using your trees as a bathroom, it’s very easy: just place a stool under your feet and lean a little forward on the toilet – that mimics the ideal position for defecation.
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