WC-ul modern, un pericol pentru sanatate

Chiar vara asta mi-am facut ganduri cum daca nu cumva modul in care ne facem nevoile, stand pe scaun, nu este cumva ceva gresit si daunator. Daca comparam cu modul in care isi faceau nevoia pe vremuri oamenii sau cum isi fac inca cateva miliarde de oameni in tarile "nedezvoltate " este o diferenta mare in pozitie.





Nu mai stiu daca pozitia se numeste "turceste", dar parca da. Insa pozitia asta este cea mai naturala si cea mai benefica pentru a elimina
scaunul si urina. Si singura pozotie naturala. In afara de ganduri insa nu am ajuns mai departe sa schimb ceva.

Insa sotia a cumparat saptamana asta cartea unui american - Jonathan Isbit - care si-a facut ganduri deja acum vrei 30 de ani despre acest lucru si a analizat multe boli care apar in urma pozitiei gresite care are o influenta negativa la multe lucruri.

Urmarile acestui scaun de wc comod dar nesanatos sunt: constipatie, apendicita, hemoroizi, incontinenta urinara, slabitul muschilor din burta, deteriorarea nervilor, probleme de prostata, disfunctii sexuale, prolaps uterin, prolaps pelvin, diverticulita, cancer de colon si multe alte boli (mai jos o lista). Chiar si infarctul este favorizat, caci, dupa sculare, care deja afecteaza masiv corpul datorita sangelui mult adunat in cap din cauza pozitiei horizontale (gresite) in care se doarme, omul in general se duce si la WC-un unde preseaza si se strofoca in plus si asta mareste si mai mult riscul de infarct.

Apendicita a aparut practic destul de recent si nu este cunoscuta in tarile unde oamenii isi fac nevoia in pozitia naturala.
Deci este urmarea acestui tron de portelan pe care stam zilnic de mai multe ori.

In pozitia de pe wc-ul normal este des nevoie de presiune mai mare caci scunul nu poate iesi usor si presatul asta continuu duce la deteriorarike unor nervi importanti si unor muschi importanti. In plus multe fecale nu ies complet si intoxica organsimul si creeaza cruste si multe boli



Dormim in pozitii gresite, nastem in pozitii gresite, stam pe scaun in pozitii gresite...insa ne facem si nevoile in pozitii gresite !
Nu trebuie sa ne mai miram. Ne-am indepartat atat de mult de la natura incat tot ce facem gresit ni se pare corect si invers.

Desi toti oamenii isi instealaza un wc-scaun in casa, cel mai sanatos wc este cel de tip vechi...sau unele mai moderne pe care te poti sui.


80% din cancerul la intestine apare in zonele gri. Aceste zone gri sunt exact zonele defavorizate de pozitia gresita de evacuare.


Isbit vinde niste platforme care se pot pune la wc-uri normale pt. a le transforma in wc-uri turcesti.
Aceste platforme por fi copiate usor de orice mestesugar. Sunt concepute ca sa fie usor de curatat si rabatabile.
Practic se pot face din lemn. Ideea este sa suporte destula greutate si sa fie comoda, sa aiba destul loc.
Suprafata de sus este inclinata cu 5 grade catre fata.





Aici este website-ul lui Isbit.
http://www.naturesplatform.com/about_us.html

Iata cate boli poti fi evitate sau vindecate numai prin folosirea pozitiei naturale la evacuare:

PREVENTION AND TREATMENT
   Appendicitis
   Bladder Incontinence
   Colitis and Crohn's Disease
   Colon Cancer
   Constipation
   Contamination of the Small Intestine
   Diverticulosis
   Gynecological Disorders
       Endometriosis
       Hysterectomy
       Pelvic Organ Prolapse
       Rectocele
       Uterine Fibroids
   Heart Attacks
   Hemorrhoids
   Hiatus Hernia and GERD
   Pregnancy and Childbirth Issues
   Prostate Disorders
   Sexual Dysfunction

Daca suferiti de hemoroizi, constipatie, probleme cu vezica urinara, etc, ele pot fi vindecate
fara medicamemte, doar prin schimbarea modului de evacuare dintr-un nefiresc si nesantos intr-unul firesc si natural.

7 avantaje ale pozitiei turcesti

- face elimiminarea mai usoara, mai rapida si mai completa. Previne stagnarile fecalelor care este cea mai importanta
cauza de cancer de colon, apendicita si inflamatia intestinelor.
- protejeaza elongatia si distrugerea nervului care controleaza prostata, vezica urinara si uterul
- inchide valva ilececala care se afla intre colon si intestinul subtire. In pozitia de pe wc-urile moderne acestea
valva nu este ajutata si des ramane deschisa, ceea ce duce la contaminarea intestunui subtire.
- relaxeaza muschii puborectali care in mod normal sugruma rectul ca sa se poata mentina continenta

- se folosesc coapsele la sustinerea colonului si prevenirea fortarii in timpul evacuarii. Fortatul pe toaleta produce
hernii, diverticulita, prolaps de uter si prolaps pelvin.

- este un tratament foarte efectiv si neinvazis pentru hemoroizi (lucru dovedit deja prin studii clinice)

- pentru femeile gravide, aceasta pozitie previne presarea uterului. Evacuarea in aceasta pozitie este un bun antrenament
pentru o nastere normala.

****************************************************************************
Eu imi construiesc singur la weekend-ul urmator o platforma pt. scaunul de la wc-ul.



Pentru cine stie germana, cartea originala in germana este aici:
http://www.darmhilfe.de/1einleitung.htm

Articol in engleza despre Isbit, autorul cartii si inventatorul platformei :
http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2002/01/21/reinventing-the-toilet-a-yale-dropout-gets-creative/

Mai jos articole in engleza de pe pagina lui Isbit
**************************************************************

Articole in engleza copiate de aici:
http://www.naturesplatform.com/health_benefits.html#Dr_Rad

Seven Advantages of Squatting

   Makes elimination faster, easier and more complete. This helps prevent "fecal stagnation," a prime factor in colon cancer, appendicitis and inflammatory bowel disease.

   Protects the nerves that control the prostate, bladder and uterus from becoming stretched and damaged.

   Securely seals the ileocecal valve, between the colon and the small intestine. In the conventional sitting position, this valve is unsupported and often leaks during evacuation, contaminating the small intestine.

   Relaxes the puborectalis muscle which normally chokes the rectum in order to maintain continence.

   Uses the thighs to support the colon and prevent straining. Chronic straining on the toilet can cause hernias, diverticulosis, and pelvic organ prolapse.

   A highly effective, non-invasive treatment for hemorrhoids, as shown by published clinical research.

   For pregnant women, squatting avoids pressure on the uterus when using the toilet. Daily squatting helps prepare one for a more natural delivery.


Conclusion

For 150 years, the people of the Western World have been the unwitting subjects of an experiment. By an accident of Fate, they were forced to adopt sitting toilets, while the other two-thirds of the world (the "control group") continued to use the natural squatting position.22

The results of this experiment have been clear and unequivocal. The experimental group has suffered dramatically higher rates of intestinal and urological disorders. The following diseases are almost exclusively confined to the Western World: appendicitis, colon cancer, prostate disorders, diverticulosis, bladder incontinence, hemorrhoids, and inflammatory bowel disease.

But the results have been misinterpreted by researchers who were unaware that the experiment was even taking place. Western doctors have tried to blame these diseases on the "highly refined" western diet. Their attempts have consistently failed to show that diet is a significant factor. Conventional medical websites all tell the same story:

   This is a disease of the Western World. We don't know what causes it, or why the developing world seems so strangely immune.

Medical researchers have been working diligently to solve these deadly mysteries, but they have made little progress. Due to their habit of studying diseases in isolation, they failed to notice a remarkable coincidence:   Many different bowel, bladder and pelvic diseases – previously rare or unknown – suddenly became commonplace in the last half of the 19th century.

This simple observation would have alerted them to the presence of a common underlying factor. It would have prompted the obvious question:  What suddenly changed in the daily habits of the population?

The obvious answer: They abandoned the squatting posture for bodily functions (including childbirth.) For each disease, the anatomical relevance of this change has been explained above. The relevance is confirmed by the absence of these disorders among squatting populations.

In conclusion, the porcelain throne has caused enormous amounts of needless suffering, and the annual waste of billions of dollars in health-care costs. Clearly, the time has come to reacquaint Western Man with his natural habits – and put this unfortunate experiment to an end.

A Clinical Study of Sitting versus Squatting

In April, 2002, an Iranian radiologist, Dr. Saeed Rad, published a study which compared the effectiveness of sitting versus squatting for evacuation.24    One of his conclusions relates to the cause of a type of hernia known as "rectocele," which is a bulge of the front wall of the rectum into the vagina.

Thirty subjects participated in the study – 21 male, 9 female – ranging in age from 11 to 75 years. Each patient received a barium enema so the internal mechanics of evacuation could be recorded on an X-Ray image. Each patient was studied in both the squatting and the sitting positions.

Using these images, Dr. Rad measured the angle where the end of the rectum joins the anal canal. At this junction point, the puborectalis muscle creates a kink to prevent incontinence. Dr. Rad found that when the subjects used sitting toilets the average angle of this bend was 92 degrees, forcing the subjects to strain. When they used squat toilets, the angle opened to an average of 132 degrees. At times it reached 180 degrees, making the pathway perfectly straight.

Using squat toilets, all the subjects reported "complete" evacuation. "Puborectalis relaxation occurred easily and straightening of the rectum and anal canal facilitated evacuation. The anal canal became wide open and no folding was noticed in the terminal rectum."

In the sitting position, "a remarkable folding was created in the terminal rectum predisposing it to rectocele formation, and puborectalis relaxation was incomplete." All the subjects reported that elimination felt "incomplete" in the sitting position.

Dr. Rad also measured the distance from the pelvic floor to the perineum. In the sitting position he found that the pelvic floor was pushed downwards to a significant degree. (A detailed discussion of the connection between sitting toilets and pelvic organ prolapse – including rectoceles – can be found in the gynecological disorders section.)

Dr. Rad concluded that the use of the squat toilet "is a more comfortable and efficient method of bowel evacuation" than the sitting toilet.

Contamination of the Small Intestine

Dr. William Welles, a San Diego chiropractor, discovered that the modern toilet causes fecal contamination of the digestive system in 70 to 80% of the population.

The ileocecal (IC) valve, between the small intestine and the colon, is designed to prevent the backflow of wastes. If it leaks, E.coli bacteria can enter the small intestine and get absorbed into the bloodstream. This puts a strain on the liver which has to remove these toxins.

The invasion of fecal bacteria (called "colo-ileal reflux") can also cause inflammation of the small intestine. This condition is called "ileitis" and is a form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

According to Dr. Welles,

   My discovery of a dysfunctional ileocecal valve in approximately 80% of my patients is also confirmed by modern medicine. The ICV is so commonly found to be dysfunctional in surgeries of the bowel and in barium enema studies that it is believed to be inherently faulty in its design.2

Drawing on the research of F.A. Hornibrook, Dr. Welles suspected that the faulty design responsible for this problem was not nature's but man's.

   Hornibrook states that the design of the Western toilet defies the laws of nature by encouraging the user to bear down without the natural support given the abdominal walls by the thighs when one is in the squatting posture.2

Then, he used muscle-testing to verify his hypothesis.

   When individuals sat in the position encouraged by the western toilet and bore down so as to eliminate fecal matter, the muscles weakened immediately and the ileocecal valve was blown out....The ICV is critical to proper intestinal plumbing, and its dysfunction is the root cause of many of the diseases of modern civilization.... 2

In his article, Dr. Welles also discusses other ailments caused by the sitting toilet – including colon cancer, hemorrhoids, hernias and pelvic organ prolapse. He concludes with some strong words of advice:

   Cast aside your preconceived ideas as to what is normal and use your rational mind to act on what has been stated above. At any given time in history it is possible to look back and find great faults with the habits of previous civilizations. I believe that future generations will one day look back at our aberrant habit of using the modern toilet – and cringe. 2


Hemorrhoids

Surveys suggest that, in westernized countries, as much as half the population over 40 years of age may suffer from hemorrhoids.8

The common explanation for their absence in the developing world is "a high fiber diet." An Internet search on "incidence of hemorrhoids" turns up many instances of the following statement, carefully worded to suggest a causal connection: "Populations in which fiber intake is high have a very low incidence of hemorrhoids."

The medical establishment accepted the fiber theory without proof because they had no other explanation for the dramatically lower incidence of hemorrhoids in the developing world. They ignored the fact that these populations follow a wide variety of diets. The Masai cattle-herders of central Africa are almost exclusively carnivorous. The Hindus of India are vegetarian. Other groups subsist on fish, or even on insects.

Researchers have also been unaware of another, more relevant factor which would explain the data: the use of squat toilets. This factor has three advantages over the fiber theory:

   It is consistent throughout the developing world.

   It pertains directly to the anatomy of hemorrhoids.

   It has been validated by published clinical research.

The research was conducted by Dr. Berko Sikirov, an Israeli physician, who studied the effect on hemorrhoid patients of squatting for elimination. The results were published in 1987 in the Israel Journal of Medical Sciences.7   In 1996, the study was the subject of an article in the Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients.8

Twenty male and female patients who had hemorrhoids of varying degrees of severity participated in the study. They had all used conventional treatments with little or no success. Two of the patients had been treated with ligation (tying off the hemorrhoid at its base with a rubber band.)

The patients underwent a proctoscopy at the beginning of the trial. Then they were told to change their toilet habits in two ways: to wait until the urge to evacuate was strong (to avoid straining) and to use the natural squatting position for elimination. The proctoscopy was repeated after one year.

Of the 20 patients, 18 reported within a few days to a few months a significant reduction or complete absence of symptoms. Lack of improvement in the two other patients, who had previously had ligation for hemorrhoids, "may be ascribed to fibrous tissue development in the submucosa as a consequence of the ligation."7

Follow-up examinations, 12 and 30 months later, on the 18 other patients (90% of the subjects in the study), revealed no recurrence of the symptoms. This chart shows the results obtained by all 20 patients. A detailed account of Dr. Sikirov's research can be found in his U.S. Patent #4,819,277.

Dr. Sikirov's conclusion is that hemorrhoids result from continual aggravation and injury due to excessive straining in the sitting position. Straining is necessary to overcome the constriction in the rectum designed to maintain continence. When this ongoing insult to the body is removed by returning to the squatting position, the natural healing process can occur without hindrance.

The importance of squatting is not unknown to gastroenterologists and proctologists. Dr. Michael I. Freilich, a retired colorectal surgeon from Marina del Rey, California, recently commented,

   Back in 1979, when former President Carter had a hemorrhoid problem, Time Magazine called and asked me to explain the cause of hemorrhoids. In the magazine, I was quoted as saying, "Man was not meant to sit on a toilet, but to squat in a field."

Even the standard textbook, Bockus Gastroenterology, contains the statement, "The ideal posture for [evacuation] is the squatting position, with the thighs flexed upon the abdomen. In this way the capacity of the abdominal cavity is greatly diminished and intra-abdominal pressure is increased, thus encouraging expulsion ..."11

Unfortunately, most proctologists pretend to be unaware of the therapeutic value of squatting. Surgery and ligation are lucrative procedures. Not wanting their income to suffer, they cause their patients to suffer instead.

Bladder Incontinence

In the larger cities of Asia, many residents have abandoned their traditional customs, believing that the West is more progressive and somehow "superior." By adopting western toilets, they have unwittingly introduced new diseases into their society. A recent article in the Malaysian newspaper The Star (March 30, 2003) discusses one such ailment:

   To squat or not to squat? That is the question. Actually, your toileting technique may have an effect on urinary incontinence. There is a lot of evidence to show that the Asian technique of using the toilet goes a long way to maintaining better pelvic health than the Western technique, says professor Ajay Rane, James Cook University of Medicine (Australia) consultant urogynecologist and pelvic reconstructive surgeon.

   According to Rane, a study done in Hong Kong showed that city-dwelling women had more urinary incontinence and bowel problems than country dwelling women. "The basic differences in these women were not their body weight, or how many children they had, but their toileting habits," he says.

   In general, women in urban areas use the "sit" method while the rural women use "squat" toilets. "Basically, we believe that the study suggests squatting causes the angle of the pelvis to relax much better and give better pressure. When you are sitting, you do not have the right relaxation of the muscles and the angle of the pelvis," he says. "I strongly believe that the squatting technique has tremendous beneficial effects on the pelvis."

Dr. Rane's view is shared by Dr. Stuart Stanton, Chairman of the Continence Foundation and Consultant Urogynecologist at St. George's Hospital, London:

   "Squat" toilets are an excellent way for women to exercise their perineum and pelvic floor muscles and control their urinary stream from the age of 2½-3 years onwards. Reports from the developing world suggest that urinary incontinence is much less in women who squat.

Here is a brief explanation of why sitting toilets increase the risk of incontinence: The pelvic floor is a hammock of muscles that supports the intestines, the bladder and the uterus. Western toilets force the user to strain when evacuating, repeatedly subjecting the pelvic floor to unnatural stress. The downward pressure stretches and weakens the pudendal nerve, responsible for bladder control.

To maintain continence, the brain needs to constantly monitor the pressure within the bladder and issue commands to the urethral sphincter muscle. Both functions are impaired when the pudendal nerve is weakened by the descent of the pelvic floor. The following statistics from FocusOnUrology.com show how frequently this occurs:

   17 million Americans are incontinent.

   Women experience incontinence twice as often as men.
   (The gynecological disorders section explains why.)

   1 in 4 women age 30-59 has experienced an episode of incontinence.

   $16.4 billion is spent every year on incontinence-related care

   $1.1 billion is spent every year on disposable products for adults.

   50% or more of elderly persons living at home or in long-term care facilities are incontinent.

FocusOnUrology.com attributes incontinence mainly to childbirth, weakened pelvic muscles, hormonal changes associated with menopause, and (in men) prostate surgery. Due to their cultural conditioning, they do not mention the use of the reclining posture for childbirth. The modern toilet has made women incapable of prolonged squatting, the position designed by nature to protect the pelvic floor during delivery.

Nor do they mention the direct effect of using a sitting toilet, which causes the pelvic floor to be pushed downwards each time one strains to evacuate. Based on a conservative estimate that the average person strains four times for each daily evacuation, by the age of 50 the unsupported pelvic floor has been stretched 73,000 times.

An unnatural maneuver repeated so many times inevitably causes a "repetitive stress injury." The pudendal nerve is the main casualty of this unintentional abuse, which renders incontinent over 50% of elderly Americans (statistics above.)

Other westernized countries face a similar problem. Researchers at Adelaide University in Australia recently reported that incontinence and other pelvic floor disorders are much more prevalent than previously believed. The article is entitled "The Descent of Women – a Silent Epidemic" (23 November 2000):

   Adelaide University researchers, in the first comprehensive study of its kind in the world, have found a remarkably high prevalence of pelvic floor disorders in the general population.... Most of these complaints were still common among women who had never had a vaginal birth.... "The survey highlights the high prevalence and major social impact of pelvic floor prolapse and incontinence in our society," said Professor MacLennan. "It is a silent epidemic, as those with the problem are often embarrassed to talk about it," he said.

   sciencedaily.com/releases/2000/11/001122231619.htm

Until recently, the cause of this epidemic has been a mystery (Professor MacLennan, quoted above, believes that it is unavoidable, as long as women continue to give birth.) But research by Mr. Wallace Bowles on the relevance of the squatting posture has brought a new understanding of how to prevent (and, in many cases, correct) these disorders:

   Most people with urinary incontinence experience a noticeable improvement within several weeks of commencing to squat for defecation with complete correction within about 3 months.17

   Anecdotally, a number of women who squat, habitually, for bowel movements and who have experienced pelvic floor trauma and incontinence after the birth of their baby, have regained their continence within about six weeks when they continue to adopt the squat posture for bowel evacuation.13

Even children are susceptible to pelvic floor nerve stretch injury. An article entitled "My Child, My Teacher" was published in the Spring, 1998, issue of New Vegetarian and Natural Health Magazine.15 Focusing on the benefits of squatting for children, the article contains numerous reports of bedwetting corrected by this simple change of habit.

Gynecological Disorders

Each year more than 600,000 hysterectomies are performed in the United States. About one-third of American women undergo this operation by the age of 60.

It is performed to deal with a number of different diseases, including uterine fibroids, endometriosis, uterine prolapse and cancer. More information about hysterectomies can be found at the National Women’s Health Information Center website.

The website states that "no one knows the cause" of these diseases. But the fact that one out of every three women has her uterus removed indicates that something in our culture is fundamentally wrong.

Before the 19th century, hysterectomies were so rare that "most doctors were of the opinion that it was unlikely that one could survive a hysterectomy." 32 The sharp increase in uterine disorders toward the end of the 19th century coincided with a similar rise in prostate disorders,33 leading to the suspicion that the two trends were somehow connected.

The connection became clearer as doctors learned more about another common pelvic ailment: bladder incontinence. They found that it typically results from damage to the pudendal nerve, which connects the pelvis to the spinal cord. This damage was traced to a "stretch injury" – caused by the progressive descent of the pelvic floor.

Why the Pelvic Floor Descends

The Australian researcher, Mr. Wallace Bowles, has offered the most plausible explanation for the high incidence of pelvic floor prolapse in the western world. (Other scientists, including Dr. William Welles, a San Diego chiropractor, independently proposed the same theory.)2   They observed that the sudden emergence of pelvic diseases near the end of the 19th century coincided with the adoption of sitting toilets.22

Furthermore, they recognized that the porcelain throne is an "ergonomic nightmare" because it forces one to use the Valsalva Maneuver (holding one's breath and pushing down with the diaphragm.) No other animal uses this maneuver. The pelvic floor was not designed to handle this type of stress on a daily basis.

Like all primates, man was designed to use the squatting position, which empties the colon without putting any pressure on the pelvic floor. Instead of pushing downwards with the lungs, one pushes upwards with the thighs, in the following way:

The right thigh pushes the cecum's contents upward into the ascending colon. The left thigh squeezes and lifts the sigmoid colon, and opens the kink where it joins the rectum. Squatting also relaxes the puborectalis muscle to open the outlet valve.

A conventional toilet defeats the purpose of this ingenious design. Trying to evacuate while sitting is like trying to drive a car without releasing the parking brake. In frustration, one pushes down forcefully – depressing the pelvic floor many times each day. Over the years, the pelvic floor gradually descends more and more, and stretches the pudendal nerve beyond its capacity.

How Pudendal Nerve Damage Causes Disease

Damage to this nerve has serious consequences for pelvic health. The uterus and ovaries depend on continuous feedback from the brain to maintain proper hormonal balance. The pudendal nerve also supplies the electrical energy – the "life force" – on which all cellular activity depends.

Cut off from the source of energy and intelligence, the pelvic organs become dysfunctional and prone to disease. Cancer, endometriosis and uterine fibroids can be viewed as different forms of "dementia" on the cellular level.

Endometriosis provides a good illustration of how cells behave when they lose contact with the brain. In this disease, the cells lining the uterus wander off and attach themselves to other organs – much like an Alzheimer's patient who has forgotten where she lives.

"Endometriosis is a painful, chronic disease that affects 5.5 million women and girls in the USA and Canada, and millions more worldwide." (Endometriosis Association)    It is the second leading reason for hysterectomies.

Why Women Are More Susceptible

Pelvic floor nerve stretch injury, the root cause of most pelvic disease, affects women more frequently than men. One reason is that the vaginal canal is a structural gap which is more vulnerable to the unique stress produced by the sitting toilet.

Repeated use of the Valsalva Maneuver will often force the uterus, the bladder, the rectum or the small intestine into this gap. These hernias are called, respectively, uterine prolapse, cystocele, rectocele (pronounced REK-tuh-seel), and enterocele (pronounced EN-tuh-ruh-seel). The term "pelvic organ prolapse" covers all of them.

Rhonda Kotarinos, MS, PT, is a renowned physical therapist who has trained physicians at Stanford Medical School in techniques for treating pelvic floor problems. In a recent lecture to members of the Interstitial Cystitis Network, she stated that long-term Valsalva voiding leads to pelvic organ prolapse.38

The risk of prolapse is even greater during childbirth, when the Valsalva Maneuver is employed with maximum force. Here again, the modern toilet is to blame, because it has alienated women from the birthing posture they were designed to use. As explained in the Pregnancy and Childbirth section, squatting fully opens the birth canal and virtually eliminates the need for the Valsalva Maneuver.

This is why women in the developing world are "relatively unaffected by pelvic floor problems"36   while the United States spends more than $10 billion each year on pelvic reconstructive surgery and $26 billion to treat urinary incontinence.36

The high rate of C-Sections is another consequence of using the wrong posture for delivery. Natural (vaginal) childbirth is feared because it is performed in an unnatural and dangerous way.   32% of US births in 2007 were by C-section.37

The View of Gynecologists

Most gynecologists are unaware of the importance of squatting for bodily functions. They believe that the female reproductive system is prone to ailments because it was "poorly designed." In medical school, they are taught that the pelvic floor was designed for quadrupeds and cannot support the pelvic organs of women who walk on two legs. They are saying, in other words, that nature is incompetent.

But their theory ignores the fact that the pelvic floor has performed quite adequately throughout human history, with only rare exceptions. It is only recently, in modern westernized countries, that pelvic organ prolapse has reached epidemic proportions. In the developing world, among squatting populations, these disorders are quite rare.

   ...African and Asian women seem to be relatively unaffected [by pelvic floor problems].36

   Prolapse appears to be comparatively uncommon in much of the developing world, despite the much greater multiparity of its mothers ...34    [Multiparity means having many children.]

This evidence has baffled western doctors, since it contradicts their assumption that the pelvic floor is unsuited for bipeds. Their usual response is to claim that the problem is simply "underdiagnosed." Like the quadrupedal theory itself, this claim is asserted without any supporting evidence.

For example, the last quotation goes on to say, "It is uncertain if this is a real difference; [women in the developing world] may merely complain less."

But these women have to perform strenuous physical labor, just to survive. Daily chores include carrying buckets of water, tilling the fields, and washing clothes by hand. Pelvic hernias would make them virtual invalids.

If they do not "complain" it can only mean that they do not dislodge their pelvic organs by the habitual use of the Valsalva Maneuver. Furthermore, no amount of stoicism could conceal the presence of incontinence, the other major sign of pelvic floor dysfunction.

A Conflict of Interest

To test for rectoceles and other forms of prolapse, gynecologists ask their patients to perform the Valsalva Maneuver, which makes the prolapse bulge out. They are aware that excessive use of this maneuver can cause prolapse in the first place. But cultural insularity has made them view straining as unavoidable.

"Unavoidable" ailments mean job security, so gynecologists are quick to dismiss the possibility that "female troubles" can be prevented. Enormous amounts of money are at stake, creating an obvious conflict of interest.

   The average cost for a hysterectomy ranges from $7,000 to $16,800 ... the annual cost for hysterectomies in the U.S. exceeds $5 billion.26

   ... the cost of surgical management of genital prolapse has surpassed $10 billion annually in the United States alone.36

Fortunately, a few gynecologists have a more enlightened perspective. Dr. Stuart Stanton and Dr. Ajay Rane were quoted above, strongly advocating the squatting posture for pelvic health. Other physicians have deplored the harm done by their colleagues in performing unnecessary surgery. Richard W. Te Linde (1894-1989) was the editor of the standard textbook on gynecological surgery. He is quoted in the Spring 2004 Whole Woman Newsletter:

   ...in the practice of gynecology, one has ample opportunity to observe countless women who have been advised to have hysterectomies without proper indications...I am inclined to believe that the greatest single factor in promoting unnecessary hysterectomy is a lack of understanding of gynecologic pathology...


A Case History

Dr. Akilah El, ND, PhD, is a naturopath with a deep understanding (and personal experience) of gynecologic pathology. In 1991, while still a student, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer and uterine fibroids. Ignoring the dire warnings of her gynecologist, she cured herself without the use of drugs, surgery or radiation.

A key factor in her recovery was the adoption of the squatting posture for elimination. This relieved the pressure on the pelvic floor and allowed the pudendal nerve to repair itself. In this way, the pelvic organs were reconnected to the central nervous system – the energy and intelligence that protects us from disease.

Dr. Akilah has repeatedly verified the effectiveness of this simple lifestyle change in helping her patients resolve gynecological ailments. The results have convinced her that "98% of all hysterectomies are unnecessary and dangerous." Dr. Akilah has summarized her program of self-cure in a tape called "Healing Our Womb - The Cause, Cure, and Prevention of Uterine Fibroids."

Diverticulosis


Diverticulosis is a type of hernia caused by years of chronic straining. The outer layer of the colon ruptures, allowing the inner lining (the "mucosa") to bulge out in pouches or sacs. It is similar to an inner tube that bulges out through weak spots in a worn-out tire.

Diverticulosis typically occurs in the sigmoid colon, in the lower left section of the abdomen. According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse:

   About half of all Americans age 60 to 80, and almost everyone over age 80, have diverticulosis. When the pouches become infected or inflamed, the condition is called diverticulitis. This happens in 10 to 25% of people with diverticulosis...

   ... Diverticulitis can lead to complications such as infections, perforations or tears, blockages, or bleeding. These complications always require treatment [surgery] to prevent them from progressing and causing serious illness.1

These statistics might seem to imply that diverticulosis is an inevitable part of growing old. Dr. Berko Sikirov, the Israeli physician who conducted successful clinical research on the use of squatting to treat hemorrhoids, disagrees:

   Colonic diverticulosis develops as a result of excessive straining at defecation due to habitual bowel emptying in a sitting posture, which is typical of Western man. The magnitude of straining during habitual bowel emptying in a sitting posture is at least three-fold more than in a squatting posture and upon urge. The latter defecation posture is typical of latrine pit users in underdeveloped nations.

   The bowels of Western man are subjected to lifelong excessive pressures which result in protrusions of mucosa through the bowel wall at points of least resistance. This hypothesis is consistent with recent findings of elastosis of the bowel wall muscles, the distribution of diverticula along the colon, as well as with epidemiological data on the emergence of diverticulosis coli as a medical problem and its geographic prevalence.9

The geographic prevalence mentioned by Dr. Sikirov is confirmed by medicinenet.com, a well-respected medical website:

   Diverticular disease is common in the Western world but is extremely rare in areas such as Asia and Africa.

Mainstream medicine has never considered the relevance of evacuation posture to diverticulosis. They attribute its high prevalence in our society to "insufficient dietary fiber." But they offer no evidence to support their theory. (The same theory was used for decades to explain colon cancer until it was disproved by several recent studies.)

An excerpt from The Mayo Clinic on Digestive Health illustrates a common fallacy used to promote the theory:

   Diverticular disease emerged after the introduction of steel rolling mills, which greatly reduced the fiber content of flour and other grains. The disease was first observed in the United States in the early 1900's around the time processed foods became a mainstay of the American diet ...23

The Mayo Clinic is correct to blame a technological innovation – but which one? The same Industrial Revolution that produced the steel rolling mill also made the porcelain throne a fixture throughout the western world.22

Dr. Denis Burkitt, the British surgeon who popularized the fiber theory, also strongly advocated the use of squat toilets to prevent diverticulosis and hiatus hernias.41 His only mistake was to assume that diet was the crucial factor and squatting was secondary, instead of the other way around.

The claim that dietary fiber protects against diverticulosis was finally tested in a recent study involving 2,104 participants, 30–80 years old. They underwent outpatient colonoscopies from 1998 to 2010 and were interviewed regarding diet and physical activity.

The study, published in the February, 2012 issue of Gastroenterology, found that   "A high-fiber diet and increased frequency of bowel movements are associated with greater, rather than lower, prevalence of diverticulosis. Hypotheses regarding risk factors for asymptomatic diverticulosis should be reconsidered."

In a media interview, the lead author, Anne F. Peery, MD put it more bluntly: "Our study makes it clear that we don't really understand why diverticula form."

The journal article also discusses the impact of this disease on health care costs:"The complications of diverticulosis cause considerable morbidity in the United States; health care expenditures for this disorder are estimated to be $2.5 billion per year."

To solve their "mystery," the researchers need to examine the biomechanics of evacuation. They will find that a western toilet strains the sigmoid colon in three ways:

   The rectum is choked by the puborectalis muscle and must be forced open by straining.

   Since the exit is obstructed, wastes get backed up in the sigmoid colon, where they stagnate, putting constant pressure on the colon wall.

   The colon is deprived of the natural support provided by the thighs when squatting. As mentioned above, diverticulosis is a type of hernia. In the squatting position, the thighs serve the same function as the belt worn by a weightlifter to prevent hernias.

95% of diverticular disease occurs in the sigmoid colon. This is due to the sharp bend or "kink" where the sigmoid joins the rectum (shown here.) Dr. William Welles explains:

   As we bear down without proper support, it increases the degree of kinking at this junction, and limits the amount of elimination to whatever is below the kink. 2

Straining is therefore counterproductive – but unavoidable – as long as we persist in using an unnatural toilet posture. The self-inflicted injury called "diverticulosis" is the inevitable result.


Bathroom Heart Attacks

Dr. Berko Sikirov is an Israeli physician who has spent over 20 years studying the effects of excessive straining caused by the use of sitting toilets. His research on hemorrhoids and diverticulosis is discussed elsewhere on this webpage.

In 1990 he published an article entitled "Cardio-vascular events at defecation: are they unavoidable?" He begins by describing the problem:

   Probably every physician practicing emergency medicine has encountered tragic cases of sudden death in the lavatory. Patients with acute coronary events are especially vulnerable to excessive straining which accompanies defecation. Therefore, it is a routine practice in coronary care units to administer laxatives or stool softeners, hopefully to reduce straining ...10

The article goes on to explain how straining on the toilet can be avoided by adopting the natural squatting position. In the following summary, Dr. Sikirov uses the term "Valsalva Maneuver," which means pushing down with the diaphragm while holding one's breath.

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, this maneuver "increases pressure within the thoracic cavity and thereby impedes venous return of blood to the heart." Another term used below is "syncope" which means "fainting."

   Cardio-vascular events at defecation are to a considerable degree the consequence of an unnatural (for a human being) seated defecation posture on a common toilet bowl or bed pan. Excessive straining, expressed in intensively repeated Valsalva Maneuvers, is needed for emptying the bowels in the sitting position. The Valsalva Maneuver adversely affecting the cardio-vascular system is the causative factor of defecation syncope and death.

   The cardio-vascular system of a healthy man withstands the intensive and repeated straining at defecation, while the compromised cardio-vascular system may fail, resulting in syncope or even death. The squatting defecation posture is associated with reduced amounts of straining and may prevent many of these tragic cases.10

Besides straining the heart, the Valsalva Maneuver also leads to pelvic organ prolapse, discussed in the Gynecological Disorders, Pregnancy, and Prostate Disorders sections.

Sexual Dysfunction

The previous section described how the habitual use of sitting toilets depresses the pelvic floor and causes a "stretch injury" to the pudendal nerve. This injury has many potential consequences – including incontinence, prostate dysfunction and chronic pelvic pain.

A recent article in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (May, 2005) described another common result: female sexual dysfunction. According to the researchers, this problem affects up to 43% of women in the United States. Reuters Health issued the following report:

   Nerve damage may underlie female sex dysfunction

   By Anne Harding

   Fri Jun 17, 2005

   NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women with sexual dysfunction are more likely to have decreased tactile sensation in the genital area, according to researchers.

   "Our data suggest that pudendal nerve impairment may play a role in sexual dysfunction in women," Dr. Kathleen Connell and colleagues write in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

   However, causes of this nerve abnormality remain unclear, Connell of Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut told Reuters Health. "I think it's an area that we have to explore further because we don't have any good explanations. It's still sort of an enigma." ... [Full article]

The explanation given in the gynecological disorders section above should help the doctors solve their "enigma." Once they understand the cause of pelvic floor nerve stretch injury, they can give their patients practical advice on preventing it.

Even though the study only tested women, a man's pelvic floor is also vulnerable, as explained in the prostate disorders section. Nerve damage is the most likely cause of male sexual dysfunction, as well.

Fortunately, damaged nerves can grow back when they are no longer subjected to daily abuse. By repairing the connection between the pelvis and the brain, one has a chance of regaining normal sexual function.

Constipation

Constipation, especially when chronic, can have very damaging effects on the colon. The colon is constantly extracting water from its contents, to transform liquid wastes into solid. As a result, if elimination is not regular and complete, the wastes will dry and become cemented to the walls of the colon.

Constipation has been shown to increase the risk of colon cancer3 and has been implicated in diverticulosis and appendicitis. "Cumulative lifetime use of commercial laxatives was also associated with increased risk of colon cancer."3

Squatting prevents constipation in four ways:

   Gravity does most of the work. The weight of the torso presses against the thighs and naturally compresses the colon. Gentle pressure from the diaphragm supplements the force of gravity.

   The ileocecal valve, between the colon and the small intestine, is properly sealed, allowing the colon to be fully pressurized. The pressure creates a natural laxative effect. In the sitting position the IC valve is unsupported and tends to leak, making it difficult to generate the required pressure.

   Squatting relaxes the puborectalis muscle which normally chokes the rectum to maintain continence.

   Squatting lifts the sigmoid colon to unlock the "kink" at the entrance to the rectum. This kink also helps prevent incontinence, by taking some of the pressure off the puborectalis muscle.

To summarize, the colon is equipped with an inlet valve (the ileocecal valve) and an outlet valve (the puborectalis muscle). Squatting simultaneously closes the inlet valve, to keep the small intestine clean, and opens the outlet valve, to allow wastes to pass freely. The sitting position defeats the purpose of both valves, making elimination difficult and incomplete, and soiling the small intestine.

The sphincter muscle, commonly regarded as the outlet valve, is actually not capable of preventing incontinence. It involves voluntary effort and is only for short-term emergencies. Maintaining continence requires the continuous grip of the puborectalis muscle. This grip is not released in the sitting position, so it must be forced open by straining. Straining repeatedly over a number of years can lead to hemorrhoids, which can therefore be classified as a repetitive strain injury.

Doctors have long recognized the connection between sitting toilets and constipation. For example, F.A. Hornibrook in The Culture of the Abdomen, published in 1933:

   Man's natural attitude during [elimination] is a squatting one, such as may be observed amongst field workers or natives. Fashion, in the guise of the ordinary water closet, forbids the emptying of the lower bowel in the way Nature intended. Now in this act of [elimination] great strains are imposed on all the internal organs….

   It is no overstatement to say that the adoption of the squatting attitude would in itself help in no small measure to remedy the greatest physical vice of the white race, the constipation that has become a contentment.5

These sentiments are echoed in Our Common Ailment, written by H. Aaron and published in 1938:

   When the thighs are pressed against the abdominal muscles in this position, the pressure within the abdomen is greatly increased, so that the rectum is more completely emptied. Our toilets are not constructed according to physiological requirements. Toilet designers can do a good deal for people if they will study a little physiology and construct seats intended for proper [elimination].6

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