Dear Dr. Blonz: Some time ago, I became interested in assuring myself an adequate supply of soluble and insoluble fiber. I bought reasonable quantities of oat bran, wheat bran, wheat germ, flaxseed and Grape-Nuts. I thoroughly mixed a cup of each of these five items in a large bowl and poured the mixture into a perfectly sized jar. Whenever I have a bowl of Cheerios, Shredded Wheat or Wheaties, I sprinkle a rounded tablespoon of the fiber mix over my breakfast choice. Am I doing myself some good? P.S.: I enjoy reading your weekly column in the East Bay Times. I always learn some valuable information. Thank you!

— J.B., Walnut Creek

Dear J.B.: Thanks for your kind words, and my compliments on your breakfast strategy. You are doing yourself, especially your digestive system, a favor by keeping fiber a staple in your diet.

The average diet contains only about half the fiber we need. Research suggests an increased fiber intake (a total of 25 to 30 grams per day) can help prevent heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes, diverticular diseases, certain cancers, constipation, diarrhea, weight gain, hemorrhoids and ulcerative colitis. This is quite impressive when you consider that dietary fiber isn’t even absorbed. The list of benefits does not stop there. Findings now reveal how dietary fiber can boost the health of our microbiome and its ability to facilitate the production of health-promoting metabolites like short chain fatty acids. For more on fiber’s benefits, see b.link/ggk6hj5.

To put some numbers to your formula, five cups of your mix will have 115 grams of dietary fiber (oat bran: 14 grams; wheat bran: 25 grams; wheat germ: 15 grams; flaxseed: 46 grams, and Grape-Nuts: 15 grams). There are 16 tablespoons in a cup; 80 tablespoons in five cups. Dividing 115 by 80 shows that your tablespoon will add 1.4 grams of dietary fiber to the cereal, which will have about three grams of its own, giving you a total of 4.4 grams of fiber for the dish. (I used nutritionvalue.org for these calculations.)

Be aware that because some fiber-rich foods can also contain healthy fats, it’s best to keep items such as wheat germ and flaxseed (especially if ground or cracked) in a sealed container in the fridge.

If you are looking for other ways to boost the fiber in your cereal, adding fresh or dried fruits can help.

A cup of blueberries, for example, will add another 3.6 grams, along with a host of beneficial phytochemicals. They are my favorite when in season, but I turn to sliced bananas, other fresh berries and dried cranberries when they’re not. I try to have a bag of frozen organic berries ready for times I cannot get to the market. For a list of high-fiber options in the various food groups, see b.link/9phgsfc.

Kensington resident Ed Blonz has a PhD in nutrition from UC Davis. Email him at cctimes@blonz.com