The Modern Toilet and Hemorrhoids
The cause of hemorrhoids has been linked to numerous things such as unhealthy lifestyle, side effect of drug use, pregnancy and genetic predisposition but one of the main culprits of this unpleasant condition may in fact be the modern toilet. Some scientists postulate that the current height of the modern toilet is unnatural. The human digestive tract follows a particular pattern from mouth to anus ensuring elimination to be an easy and pain free process. When humans used to squat, the natural shape of our digestive tracts remained intact and elimination presented no problems. In the modern era of Western sanitation and toilet design, we no longer squat but perch on the toilet presenting an unnatural angle to our digestive tracts and yet still forcing elimination. In countries such as India, the far East and parts of Eastern Europe where squat toilets are still commonly used, the rate of hemorrhoids is greatly reduced indicating a direct correlation between modern toilet design and the strain on our bodies. The best way to prevent hemorrhoids may be to get back down to earth and squat instead of using the porcelain throne.
