This is why I love the Disco Blog – it brings to my attention some of the more extraordinary science experiments that are carried out.
Today’s example gives us a study of whether the wearing of underwired bras affects a woman’s ability to defecate.
Yup, that’s right! Will wearing a no underwire bra make you open your bowels more regularly?
The experiment lasted for three weeks, during which time the participants wore underwired bras for the first and third week and unsupported styles for the second. They ate and drank the same as normal and, every time they pooped, they weighed the output.
The results showed that there was less poop in the weeks where the extra support bras were worn leading the scientists to have discussions about the “suppression of the parasympathetic nervous system and intestine motility, and the delayed transit time in the large intestine”.
So, there we have it, if you wear a no underwire bra, your food will not be hanging around in your large intestine for anywhere near so long as it would with a wired one.
But I for one will not be giving up the opportunity to present my cleavage in the best possible light, no matter what effect it has on my digestive system!
If women are willing to let people cut into them and insert plastic bags of salt water, I have to imagine a change in digestive transit time wouldn’t throw them.
What this study really made me wonder, was by what mechanism the parasympathetic nervous system is being suppressed. This is the system that operates when we are at rest (in fact it’s sometimes called the “rest and digest” system), I have to wonder what detriments would be caused by never allowing the body to go into it’s full relaxation mode, and if other functions of the parasympathetic system are being affected.
Interestingly though, from the body of the study, it seemed that what was being affected was the amount of water present in the fecal matter as a byproduct of slowed digestive transit time, which could have all sorts of fun effects . . . the alarmist in me thinks cancer =)
Rhacodactylus recently posted..The Ig Noble Awards- Swearing and the Blow by Blow on Bats!
It’s only natural that woman’s bowels tighten if she’s trying to make her boobs look perkier than they really are. Let it all hang out if you don’t want to be constipated.
Rhac and MrB, I don’t get how that can happen though. The underwires are pressing against the ribcage and supporting the breasts from below. How can this be constricting or impeding the organs contained within?
Did they say where they were wearing the bras? If they had them tied round the waist it would explain a lot.
Kevin recently posted..Sunspots
There are some people that have WAY too much time on their hands. Unfortunately, my vintage boobs cannot be with out the underwire support regardless of the digestive benefits. I’ll just eat extra fiber.
nitebyrd recently posted..A Slippery Saturday – Lube Review
I’m with you Nitebyrd – a bowl of porridge and some bioacidofolous normally sorts me out :)