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FIBER CAN PROTECT the heart by lowering choles- terol, and it can prevent painful problems like constipation and diverticulitis. But it's hard for some people to digest.

Readers wrote recently to ask about fiber supplements, fiber-rich steel-cut oatmeal, and avoiding gas after eating fiber.

QAre the fiber supplements advertised on TV helpful?

--J.L., King George

ASoluble fiber supplements, the kind that dissolve completely in water, are helpful for people with constipation and with high cholesterol--if they can't get enough fiber from foods.

Personally, I'd rather eat tasty foods than take a fiber pill, powder or wafer.

We need 25 to 35 grams of fiber a day, and most foods that are high in soluble fiber are mouthwatering. They include apples, pears, oatmeal, eggplant, cooked beans (such as black beans and pinto beans), peas and whole grains.

However, I recommend fiber supplements to people who can't or won't eat these foods. You can buy soluble-fiber supplements over the counter at most grocery stores and pharmacies, and most brands are helpful.

If you have persistent problems, be sure to see a physician. Fiber is helpful, but it's not a substitute for medications.

QIs there a nutritional advantage to steel-cut oats? I'm not sure they're worth the extra cost and cooking time compared with oatmeal.

--J.L., King George (again!)

ASteel-cut oats make a tasty, high-fiber hot cereal, useful for preventing constipation and lowering cholesterol. Steel-cut oats have a lower glycemic index than oatmeal, meaning they take longer to turn into sugar in your bloodstream, so they may be a better choice for people with diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

However, instant oatmeal is still a good food, with a medium glycemic index and lots of fiber.

Here's how to decide what works best for you. You can buy three types of oatmeal: steel-cut, old-fashioned and instant. All three are made from the same oat kernels, cut in different ways. In case you're wondering, an oat kernel looks like a grain of brown rice with pointy ends.

With steel-cut oats, the kernels are cut into small chunks, which take 30 minutes to cook. Old-fashioned oatmeal, in which the oat kernels are steamed, rolled flat into thin flakes and toasted, cooks in five to eight minutes. And instant oatmeal, the most thinly sliced version, takes only two minutes to cook.