Giulia Enders, a German microbiologist, claims that people in Western countries are pooing all wrong - and instead of sitting on the loo, we should be squatting

It's one of the most taboo subjects there is to discuss.

But one scientist has hauled poo in the limelight - and now everyone's talking about it.

Giulia Enders, a German microbiologist, claims that people in Western countries are emptying their bowels in totally the wrong way - and instead of sitting on the loo, we should be squatting.

Her book, Charming Bowels, which has topped the charts in her native country for several weeks, explores a number of gut health issues, from constipation to bacteria.

The overall message is that the gastrointestinal tract is 'the brain's most important adviser', affecting everything from mental to digestive health.

But there are also practical gems, such as how to poo properly.

Sitting is in fact all wrong, and actually prolongs the process, explains Ms Enders, who is studying in Frankfurt for her medical doctorate in microbiology.

It may also explain why haemorrhoids (piles) and painful bowel diseases such as diverticulitis are more common in the West than in Asia, she adds.

She told The Guardian: '1.2 billion people around the world who squat have almost no incidence of diverticulitis and fewer problems with piles.

'We in the West, on the other hand, squeeze our gut tissue until it comes out of our bottoms.'

Instead, the correct way is to squat.

This is because the closure mechanism of the gut is not designed to 'open the hatch completely' when we’re sitting down or standing up: it’s like a kinked hose.

Although you can climb on your toilet seat and squat, the kink can also be ironed out by sitting with your feet on a little stool and leaning forward.

Ms Enders adds there is a wealth of research that shows squatting is a more effective way to evacuate the bowels.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4 on Woman's Hour, she explained: 'When you sit or stand, there's a muscle that goes around the end of the colon and it pulls, so there's a curve.

'When we're in a squatting position, and have a little stool in front of the toilet, then the angle is even and straight, so there's less pressure needed.'

'Squatting is far more natural and puts less pressure on our bottoms.'

Some experts claim we all used to squat - until the middle of the 19th century - and the demise of squatting is to blame for soaring rates of bowel and digestive issues.

As US-based doctor Joseph Mercola writes on his webpage: 'Infants instinctively squat to defecate, as does the majority of the world's population.

As Ms Enders explains: 'When you sit or stand, there's a muscle that goes around the end of the colon and it pulls, so there's a curve. When we're in a squatting position, and have a little stool in front of the toilet, then the angle is even and straight, so there's less pressure needed'

'But somehow the West was convinced that sitting is more civilised.'

He adds: 'Sitting on the modern Thomas Crapper-style sit-down toilet is designed to place your knees at a 90-degree angle to your abdomen.

'However, the time-honored natural squat position places the knees much closer to your torso, and this position actually changes the spacial relationships of your intestinal organs and musculature, optimising the forces involved in defecation.'

When we're in a squatting position, and have a little stool in front of the toilet, then the angle is even and straight, so there's less pressure needed Giulia Enders

And Ms Enders also goes on to explain the gastrointestinal tract it is the most unappreciated part of the body.

Which leads her on to the subject of sphincters - and the fact we each have two - the inner and the outer.

The outer is the one we know about - that we consiously open and close when we want to to go the loo.

The inner sphincter is the one that determines if it's safe to go - or pass wind. If you're at home, for example, then matters proceed.

If it's not safe, the signals from the sphincter are ignored.

But problems occur when the inner sphincter is ignored too many times, triggering constipation.

Gut bacteria is another key interest of Ms Enders.

In her book, she details the minutiae of the gut. Our gut, which comprises two-thirds of our immune system, contains a staggering two kilos of bacteria, she explains.

And these bacteria play a role in digesting our food, determining our mood and energy production, she claims.