When it comes to pooing, some people are going about it all wrong.
That’s according to Jan Fallingborg, a consultant at Aarhus University Hospital’s department of gastroenterology, who said that people who grunt and make “pressing down” noises during toilet time are actually slowing themselves down.
He told Danish newspaper MetroXpress that people who poo silently are on to a winner and are likely to empty their bowels much quicker.
“Basically it is all about pressure and that pressure decreases when we let air and noises out of our mouth,” he said.
“Therefore the release of forced sounds should have the opposite effect.”
Fallingborg’s major life lesson came after MetroXpress conducted a survey of toilet habits among readers and found that roughly one third were “grunters”.
He later added that making noise on the toilet may have some merits, as it can give people “a sense of psychological satisfaction”.
It’s not the first time our bowel movement methods have come under scrutiny.
German scientist and author Giulia Enders previously said that people who sit on the toilet to poo are not doing it correctly.
In fact, squatting is the key to a healthy bowel movement.
She said that sitting down on the toilet seat has a negative effect on the body, as it affects the shape of the muscles at the end of your colon.
This makes it more difficult to squeeze out a poo and increases the likelihood of piles or other issues.
“1.2 billion people around the world who squat have almost no incidence of diverticulosis and fewer problems with piles,” she told the Guardian.
“We in the west, on the other hand, squeeze our gut tissue until it comes out of our bottoms.”
She added that squatting is effective because it allows your bowels to “open the hatch” properly.
Well there you have it: squatting in silence is key.