Red Yeast Rice Supplement May Lower Cholesterol

FYI Health Tip

Some patients use red yeast rice supplements in place of traditional statins.

Lowering cholesterol may seem like a difficult feat, but a recent study found that a rice-based supplement could help to lower your LDL-cholesterol level by nearly 25 percent. The supplement, derived from red yeast rice, also appears to help fend off heart disease.

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What is red yeast rice? It’s the fermented product of red yeast that grows on white rice. A substance that can be isolated from red yeast rice, monakolin K, is believed to be responsible for the beneficial effects, and is sold under the name lovastatin. Some people use lovastatin in place of traditional statins.

In the study, the test subjects who took red yeast rice capsules over a four month span lowered their LDL-cholesterol by 23 percent compared to those who took a placebo. Additionally, the red yeast rice users lowered their total cholesterol 15.5 percent more than the placebo group. The supplement did not have a significant effect on weight, however.

While that is a significant decrease in cholesterol, before you rush out to buy red yeast supplements, you should be aware that another study has warned of potential health risks such as kidney damage. Be sure to consult a doctor to weigh the pros and cons of this and any supplement you are considering taking.

The supporting research

Red Yeast Rice Shown to Lower Cholesterol

Summary
Red yeast rice, the fermented product of red yeast that is grown on polished white rice, is known to lower cholesterol levels; it is also beneficial in heart disease. This study was designed to investigate the effects of a red yeast rice product on blood lipids and on glycosylated hemoglobin, plasma glucose and C-reactive protein, or indicators of high cholesterol and diabetes. It was seen that after 16 weeks, patients receiving red yeast rice had a notable reduction in LDL-cholesterol and in total cholesterol compared to those on placebo. Thus, the study showed that red yeast rice significantly reduced cholesterol content.

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