To squat or not… That is the question.
Since Queen Elizabeth I’s godson Sir John Harrington invented the flushing toilet back in 1596, Western society has widely favoured the bum-on-seat method of pooping.
But it seems we’ve been doing our bowels a great injustice.
The Knees Up Stool is a new product that claims to revolutionise the way we release waste.
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Essentially, it’s a prop for your feet that makes squatting over the loo a whole lot easier while improving your poo posture.
According to the product’s website: “When you pop a squat, the anorectal angle is in perfect alignment. This means you’ll get cool stools, which are eliminated smoothly and quickly from the colon.”
In fact, the site says that sitting directly on the toilet seat “completely prevents our body’s natural flow.”
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Not only is squatting a faster way to defecate, it turns out it’s also better for our gut health – something countries like India, Japan and Thailand have been privy to all along.
“1.2 billion people around the world who squat have almost no incidence of diverticulosis and fewer problems with piles,” Giulia Enders, author of Charming Bowels, told The Guardian.
“We in the west, on the other hand, squeeze or gut tissue until it comes out of our bottoms.”
Squatting is also said to prevent:
- Constipation
- Hemorrhoids
- Varicose veins
- Colon disease
- and Urinary tract infections
Still not sure? Try it for yourself – your colon will thank you for it!
This article originally appeared on Women’s Health
