Colorful fruits, vegetables and other foods of plant origin are full of nutritional “gold” in that they contain protective antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and other properties that support both the immune system and heart health. Everyone is familiar with common ways to reduce dietary cholesterol, found in foods of animal origin, which include choosing lean meats and poultry, using low fat dairy products and avoiding trans-fats lurking in packaged snacks and desserts that can raise your LDL cholesterol. Your total cholesterol number, you will recall, contains LDL cholesterol, which is associated with plaque build-up in your arteries, and HDL cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol which functions like a cholesterol mop to help remove LDL cholesterol. About 25% of our cholesterol is estimated to come from diet, with hereditary factors playing a larger role. Foods of plant origin may help nudge your cholesterol number downward, and the protective HDL upward. In one study, for example, eating onions dramatically increased HDL, and in other studies, plant sterols and stanols obtained from pine trees decreased LDL. Plant foods, other studies suggest, that may decrease your LDL cholesterol include beans, whole grains such as oatmeal and oat bran, fruits such as red grapefruit, apples and pears, nuts such as almonds and walnuts, flaxseed, soy protein, olive oil, plant stanols/sterols added to certain juices, margarines and supplements, psyllium, as well as eating fish for the omega 3 fats--and even activities such as yoga. Foods found to increase HDL cholesterol include berries, orange juice, red wine, a "mediterranean-type" diet, (i.e. what is commonly eaten near the Mediterranean--vegetables, legumes, fish, olive oil, wine, etc.) the aforementioned onions--and exercise. No doubt many other similar foods have this protective effect but the important thing to note is the overall pattern, which translates into enjoying breakfasts of whole grains often, such as oatmeal and oat bran, topped with berries, nuts and flaxseed, enjoying "mediterranean-type meals frequently, and including plenty of fruits and vegetables every day. And as always, discuss your diet with your physician, noting any possible food-drug interactions--and continue to enjoy adequate calories and protein in your daily intake to support your immune system.