A Problem For The Western World
A couple of decades ago inflamed bowel diseases such as crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis were virtually unheard of in Asian countries and a health concern of the European world, even more specifically a problem that was quite exclusive to people of Caucasian ethnicity.
In more recent years IBD (inflamed bowel disease) has not only become more common for Afro Europeans but is also on the rise across developing regions of Asia.
What is IBD and how is it caused?
IBD is a blanket term used to describe diseases such as Crohn's disease that cause inflammation of the gut, IBD can be a debilitating condition for its sufferers.
The fact is nobody has figured out what actually causes IBD's like Crohn's disease.
There have been studies that highlight the possibility of hereditary or biological factors regarding the bodies antigens, and theories that diet and antibiotic use may play a role.
While it has been pointed out that biological factors may make a person more susceptible to IBD, and poor diet may aggravate the condition, we have not found the root cause of the ailment.
Why Would Industrialising Asia bring With It A Rise In IBD?
The words "developing country" and "industrialisation" are words, that for me, hold negative connotations. More often than not, "development" means Westernisation, and with that comes destruction of beautiful natural land and a loss of cultures and traditions we should probably be embracing and learning from in order to save humanity.
An increase in buildings, roads and business, also means an increase in traffic and air pollution as well as an increase in fast food joints, which are two of the things thought to aggravate IBD along with the use of antibiotics which are easily available over the counter in most Asian cities and probably misused at times which could also contribute to the formation of resistant strains of disease such as the the newly emerged "super gonorrhea"
Is There A Simple Explination To The Cause Of IBD?
It appears the medical professions may have overlooked one simple fact in the fight against IBD and why it could be on the rise in industrialised parts of Asia, it is quite simply the way people use the toilet.
For hundreds of years Europeans have opted for a sitting position when it comes to emptying their bowels whereas it is still common across Asia to squat.
Sitting on a toilet is an unnatural position for the body which puts a kink in the bowel and means it is not possible to fully evacuate all the waste, leaving feces in the bowel could breed bacteria that cause inflammation.
In contrast the squatting position is the body's natural position for doing its business and allows for the bowels to be emptied properly.
The rise of IBD in Asia could well be due to the rise of the Western style sitting toilet.
