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QSCIS
Queensland Spinal Cord Injuries Service

Right amount

The amount of faeces that should be passed relates directly to the amount of food being eaten. If the person is eating well, but not passing an adequate amount of stool, this should be an early alert to potential impending constipation. See information on the Trouble Shooting Guide to manage constipation.

Regularly monitoring the results of the daily bowel routine provides a “checks and balances” system to ensure that the bowels are on track, and an early warning if things are starting to go wrong!

What someone eats will also influence the size of the stool. A diet high in fibre will result in larger motions than one that is low in fibre.

What is fibre?

Dietary fibre is the edible part of plants that is not digested or absorbed in the small bowel.

Why is fibre important?

Fibre is fermented by bacteria (our microbiome) in the large bowel and this process is important for many aspects of our health, including bowel habits.

Fibre also provides bulk and gives the digestive tract muscles something to grip onto, pushing waste through the large bowel more effectively.

How much fibre is recommended?

For the key population, the recommended fibre intake is 25-30g per day.

For someone with a spinal cord injury, the recommended fibre intake is  15g-20g of fibre as a starting point, increasing slowly as tolerated. This is because higher amounts of fibre – especially in the absence of enough water and reduced peristalsis – can increase the risk of constipation.

What are the types of fibre?

There are three different types of fibre: soluble fibre, insoluble fibre and resistant starch. Getting a good mix of all three types of fibre is recommended for good health and regular bowel habits.

An illustration showing the position of the faeces in the bowel which is too high.
Soluble fibre

Soluble fibre dissolves in water, forming a gel-like substance. Soluble fibre is good at ‘mopping up’ fluid and can be useful if bowel motions need to be firmer.

Soluble fibre also helps to slow down the movement of waste through the bowel and can be used when the bowels are opening too frequently with no clear cause. This type of fibre can be found in foods like oats and oat bran, bananas, fibre supplements, legumes and pulses.

An illustration showing the position of the faeces in the bowel which is too low.
Insoluble fibre

Insoluble fibre doesn’t dissolve in water, adds bulk to the stool and passes through the bowel more quickly than soluble fibre. Increasing insoluble fibre in the diet can be useful if small motions are being passed frequently through the day, as the extra bulk helps to push a greater volume of faeces through to the rectum.

Insoluble fibre is mainly found in fruits, vegetables (skins and seeds), nuts, seeds and whole grain products such as multigrain bread, brown rice and whole wheat products such wholemeal pasta and certain breakfast cereals.

An illustration showing the position of the faeces in the bowel which is too low.
Resistant starch

Resistant starch is a type of fibre that feeds the good bacteria in the gut and is often referred to as a prebiotic.

Sources of resistant starch are cold cooked potato, rice, quinoa, pasta, unripe banana, legumes and oats.

Reference: "Fibre" Dietitian/ Nutritionists from the Nutrition Education Materials Online, "NEMO" Team Fibre

Simple tips to help get enough fibre

  • Eat at least 1-2 pieces of fruit each day
  • Fill at least half of lunch and dinner meals with colourful vegetables or salad
  • Choose a handful of nuts as a snack
  • Swap to multigrain or wholemeal bread
  • Try some brown rice, quinoa or wholemeal pasta
  • Add a tin of lentils or other legumes to soups, casseroles or mince-based dishes
  • Enjoy oats, muesli or wholewheat cereal for breakfast

How much fibre is the person getting?

Interested to find out how much fibre they’re getting? Consider using a free food diary app.