Why is fibre important in spinal cord injury?
Authors: Vanessa Mok , Dominik Zbogar | Reviewers: Janet Parker , Gita Joshi | Published: 23 December 2019 | Updated: ~
Fibre aids in the proper movement of food through the intestines.7
When the spinal cord is injured, some or all of the nerve signals that would normally allow the brain and bowel (intestine or ‘gut’) to communicate are blocked. This can contribute to a number of bowel changes known as neurogenic bowel dysfunction. They include:
- Reduced sensation
- Slowed movement of stool through the bowel
- Loss of bowel control
Depending on whether your injury is above or below T12, you may experience spastic bowel or flaccid bowel, respectively. Spastic bowel is characterized by increased muscle tone in the intestines and sphincters while flaccid bowel is characterized by decreased tone. This difference can play a role in how your body responds to changes in diet including increased fibre intake.
Dietary fibre is an important part of a bowel management program for neurogenic bowel. After a SCI, food moves through the bowels at a much slower pace. Slow movement means that food takes much longer to digest, which can lead to dry, hard stools and constipation. Too little fibre in the diet can worsen constipation, resulting in pain and difficulty when emptying the bowels. Fibre can increase bulk and soften stool. This stimulates bowel movements and makes stool easier to pass. Foods with high fibre content tend to be lower in calories too. As a result, diets that are low in fibre can contribute to uncontrolled weight gain and lead to less stable blood sugar levels after meals.
Figure 1. In the general population, with increasing dietary fibre, the risk for various lifestyle diseases decreases in a dose-response manner.8
Research in the general population shows that adequate dietary fibre intake is associated with a decreased risk of developing numerous chronic diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and intestinal diseases (e.g. constipation, hemorrhoids).
As people with SCI are more prone to developing these health conditions due to factors including sedentary lifestyle and changes in metabolism, getting enough fibre in the diet may provide long-term health benefits.
Examples of bacteria that can be found in the gut.9-12
There is emerging evidence suggesting that an imbalance of bacteria in the gut is linked to the progression of chronic conditions including diabetes, obesity, pain, and neurogenic bowel dysfunction. Additionally, recent studies have demonstrated that imbalances to the bacterial composition in the gut may result following SCI. Since fibre supports the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut, a fibre-rich diet may help to decrease these health risks in people with SCI.
