Infants of every culture instinctively adopt this posture of squatting to relieve themselves. Although it may look strange to someone who has spent his entire life deprived of the experience, this is the way the human body was designed to function.

Chair-like toilets had only been used by royalty and the disabled till middle of 19th century. Western Europe, as well as Australia and North America, did not want to appear less civilized than Great Britain, whose vast empire at the time made it the most powerful country on Earth. So, within a few decades, most of the industrialized world had adopted “The Emperor’s New Throne.”

Nobody realized that the sitting position makes elimination difficult and incomplete, and forces one to strain.

Today, many physicians blame the modern toilet for the high incidence of a number of serious ailments. The prevalences of bowel diseases (hemorrhoids, appendicitis, polyps, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, diverticular disease, and colon cancer) are similar in South African whites and in populations of prosperous western countries.

Seven Advantages of Squatting
1.Makes elimination faster, easier and more complete. This helps prevent “fecal stagnation,” a prime factor in colon cancer, appendicitis and inflammatory bowel disease.
2.Protects the nerves that control the prostrate, bladder and uterus from becoming stretched and damaged.
3.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.
4.Relaxes the puborectalis muscle which normally chokes the rectum in order to maintain continence.
5.Uses the thighs to support the colon and prevent straining. Chronic straining on the toilet can cause hernia and pelvic organ prolapse.
6.A highly effective, non-invasive treatment for hemorrhoids, as shown by published clinical research.
7.For pregnant women, squatting avoids pressure on the uterus when using the toilet. Daily squatting helps prepare one for a more natural delivery.

The Indian type of toilet is more conducive to complete evacuation than the Western toilet. With the western style closets becoming popular in India, there is a risk of increased incidence of appendicitis.

Inputs from : http://www.naturesplatform.com