Dr. Mercola wrote:
Your position can affect the ease with which you eliminate, and doing it wrong may increase your risk of bowel and pelvic problems, including constipation, hemorrhoids, and more. As it turns out, virtually everyone living in Western societies is doing it wrong...
Most of you reading this probably sit to evacuate your bowel, but this requires you to strain, which has some unwanted biological effects, including a temporary disruption in cardiac flow. Your body is actually designed to eliminate by squatting, which is the topic of the featured article in The Guardian.
Why Squat?
Sitting on a modern toilet places your knees at a 90-degree angle to your abdomen, which actually hinders elimination by pinching off your **** canal, as illustrated in the image.
Squatting, on the other hand, places your knees closer to your torso, and this position changes the spatial relationships of your intestinal organs and musculature, relaxing and straightening your rectum. As a result, you maximize the efficiency of elimination.
Importantly, this prevents fecal stagnation and the accumulation of toxins in your intestinal tract that can fester and contribute to bowel problems and a variety of discomforts.
In fact, non-Westernized societies, in which people squat rather than sit, do not have the high prevalence of bowel disease seen in developed nations; in some cultures with traditional lifestyles, these diseases are virtually unknown.
Devices That Enable You to Squat Easier
As the benefits of squatting have become better known, a number of devices have emerged, designed to help you assume the proper position.
One simple device is a foot stool that allows you to get into a more natural squat position without renovating your entire bathroom and converting to a hole in the ground, which is what you’ll find in some non-Western countries.
It’s an inexpensive way to improve your potty posture, and since you’re still sitting on your toilet, virtually anyone can benefit from it, as squatting without support can be a challenge for most who didn’t grow up squatting on a daily basis. It’s definitely a workout for your thighs!
If you have trouble with bowel movements, I highly recommend giving the squat position a try.
There’s compelling evidence suggesting the Western toilet is at least in part responsible not only for constipation and hemorrhoids, but also more severe health problems like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), appendicitis, and even heart attacks—caused by the disruption of blood flow and straining.