Our ancestors did it. People in Asia, Africa, and parts of Europe still do it. So how did we Westerners deviate from the best way to go to the bathroom?
The culprit is toilets as we know them. Thrones, they called them. It turns out we’re supposed to squat, not sit.
In a 2003 study, 28 healthy people volunteered to time themselves by relieving themselves in three alternating positions: sitting on a standard toilet, sitting on a low toilet, and squatting. They recorded not only how long it took them to do so, but also how much effort they exerted. Squatting, the study concluded, requires less time and effort.
“There’s certainly a physiological purpose to squatting,” says gastroenterologist Anish Sheth, co-author of the books “What is your poo telling you?” and “What is my urine telling me?” “Simply put, it straightens the colon.”
