to the editor: Sometimes a trip to the grocery store can be very informative. Because constipation is a prevalent problem in elderly persons and insoluble fiber is an important treatment, an examination of fiber-containing breakfast cereals is enlightening. Deciding which breakfast cereal to use in the treatment of constipation can be difficult considering the names of cereals, such as 100% Bran, All-Bran and Complete Wheat Bran. The fine print on the box reveals that 100% Bran contains only 7 g of insoluble fiber per 29 g serving—a disappointing 24.1 percent insoluble fiber for a product that claims to be 100 percent bran.
Several other breakfast cereals contain nearly double the amount of fiber that is found in 100% Bran (see the accompanying table).
