It’s one of the most taboo subjects to discuss. But one scientist has hauled poo into the limelight — and now everyone’s talking about it. Giulia Enders, a German microbiologist, claims that people in Western countries are emptying their bowels in totally the wrong way — and instead of sitting on the loo, we should be squatting.

    Her book, “Charming Bowels,” which has topped the charts in her native country for several weeks, explores a number of gut health issues, from constipation to bacteria.

    The overall message is that the gastrointestinal tract is “the brain’s most important adviser,” affecting everything from mental to digestive health. But there are also practical gems, such as how to poo properly.

    Sitting is in fact all wrong, and actually prolongs the process, explains Enders, who is studying in Frankfurt for her medical doctorate in microbiology.

    It may also explain why hemorrhoids (piles) and painful bowel diseases such as diverticulitis are more common in the West than in Asia, she adds.

    She said, “Some 1.2 billion people around the world who squat have almost no incidence of diverticulitis and fewer problems with piles. We in the West, on the other hand, squeeze our gut tissue until it comes out of our bottoms.”

    Although you can climb on your toilet seat and squat, the kink can also be ironed out by sitting with your feet on a little stool and leaning forward.

    Enders adds there is a wealth of research that shows squatting is a more effective way to evacuate the bowels. This is because the closure mechanism of the gut is not designed to “open the hatch completely” when we’re sitting down or standing up. It’s like a kinked hose.

    She explained, “When you sit or stand, there’s a muscle that goes around the end of the colon and it pulls, so there’s a curve.

    “When we’re in a squatting position, and have a little stool in front of the toilet, then the angle is even and straight, so there’s less pressure needed. Squatting is far more natural and puts less pressure on our bottoms.”

这是人人都忌讳的话题。但是，一位科学家将便便的话题拉到了公众视野，现在人人都在谈论它。

德国微生物学家茱莉亚•恩德斯说，西方国家的人大便的方式完全错误 — 大便时不应坐着而应蹲着。

她的《神奇的肠道》一书在德国已经连续几周登顶畅销书榜首，书中探究了便秘和细菌等一系列肠道健康问题。

整本书传递的信息是，胃肠道是“大脑最重要的顾问”，影响精神和消化道的健康。除此之外，书中还探究了一些实用问题，比如如何正确地大便。

“事实上，坐便是完全错误的方式，延长了大便的时间，”在法兰克福攻读微生物学博士的恩格斯解释道。

她补充说，这也就解释了为何在西方国家患肠道疾病（比如，憩室炎）以及痔疮的人比亚洲国家多。

她说：“全球12亿蹲便的人中几乎没有人患憩室炎并且痔疮问题也少些。我们西方人坐着挤压肠道组织，直到大便排出。”

你可以爬上马桶圈上蹲着，不过也可以坐在马桶上，给脚下垫一个小凳子，同时保持身体前倾，使排便顺畅。

恩德斯表示，有大量研究表明蹲便是一种更有效的排便方式。

之所以会这样，是因为在我们坐着或站着时，肠道的关闭机制不会“完全开放肠道口”，就像一根扭结的软管。

她解释道：“在你坐着或站着时，结肠末端的肌肉产生拉力，在结肠末尾形成一个弯。”

“而在我们采取蹲姿，在马桶前放一个小凳子，双脚踩在凳子上时，肠道的角度就会变平、变直，排便时所需的力就少了。蹲便是更加自然的姿势，对屁屁造成的压力也更小。”

Words to Learn 相关词汇

【蹲】dūn squat crouch down or cower

【扭结】nǐujié kink a twist or curl, as in a thread, rope, wire, or hair, caused by its doubling or bending upon itself