The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended authorising Repatha (evolocumab) as treatment to lower high levels of cholesterol in the blood of people who are unable to control their cholesterol despite taking optimal doses of statins or who cannot take statins. It should be used in addition to a healthy diet.
The recommended dose of red yeast rice is 1,200 mg taken orally twice daily with food. In studies, patients started to see a reduction in cholesterol levels at about 12 weeks.
Doses ranging from 200–4,800 mg have been studied in clinical trials, typically containing about 10 mg of total monacolin ( 17 ). Most major supplement brands on the market generally recommend taking between 1,200–2,400 mg daily, divided into two to three doses.
You should avoid the consumption of grapefruit or grapefruit juice during treatment with red yeast rice. Drinking green tea or taking green tea extracts may also increase the blood levels of red yeast rice in some patients. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions or concerns.
Recently I’ve been getting a lot of emails about the safety of using Red Yeast Rice to naturally lower cholesterol levels.
Does it work, is it safe, and does it have the same side-effects of statin “cholesterol lowering” drugs?…
One reason for all the questions and concerns is because Consumer Reports came out with a list of the 15 Supplement Ingredients to Always Avoid and Red Yeast Rice was one of the 15 ingredients on the list.
And this is a very important topic because if the right form and amount of Red Yeast Rice is used, it’s an amazingly effective and safe ingredient.
The Consumer Reports feedback about Red Yeast Rice… Unfortunately, the information is vague, wrong and inaccurate. They stated risks as:
“Kidney and muscle problems, liver problems, hair loss; can magnify effect of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, increasing the risk of side effects”
However, what they HAVE done is inaccurately listed “statin” drug side-effects!…
Statin Drugs Are The REAL Problem
One of the most prescribed drugs in the world for almost 2 decades, are cholesterol lowering statin drugs.
Doctors used to (and still do) say how these drugs are “so amazing and healthy” for you. And the minute anyone had even slightly elevated cholesterol levels, doctors were quick to prescribe these powerful (and harmful) drugs.
However, in the past few years the truth has come out… The fact that statin drugs are very toxic and have numerous side-effects — such as memory loss, muscle pain, liver damage, diabetes, high blood pressure, impotence and more.
Red Yeast Rice & Statins
Red Yeast Rice (a regular diet staple in Asia) naturally contains low levels of monacolin K, which is chemically similar to the active ingredient in the cholesterol-lowering statin drug Lovastatin.
And because of this, Consumer Reports automatically and incorrectly ASSUMES that Red Yeast Rice is the “same” as statin drugs and thus, will have the same negative side-effects of statin drugs.
Not only is this wrong, but it’s illegal in the US because…
FDA Won’t Allow This
In 2008, the FDA determined that red yeast rice products that contain more than trace amounts of monacolin K are considered as an “unapproved new drug” and cannot be sold legally as dietary supplements.
And this was done primarily because the pharmaceutical companies didn’t want a natural ingredient to compete with their harmful drugs.
Red yeast rice can’t cause any statin side-effects, if it doesn’t contain any “statin” in it.
However, Red yeast rice still has numerous health and cholesterol-lowering benefits that is NOT related to monacolin K or lovastatin, and without any negative side-effects.2,5
So Consumer Reports was all wrong about Red Yeast Rice’s negative side-effects.
Problem 1: Citrinin
Some red yeast rice products contain a contaminant called citrinin, which can cause kidney failure in high dosages.4
So when purchasing any product containing Red Yeast Rice, make sure the citrinin is removed.
Problem 2: Don’t Use It By Itself
You never want to use Red Yeast Rice by itself because you’d have to use a very high dosage of it for it to work and be effective.
The best products use red yeast rice, in conjunction with other key ingredients, at specific dosages to help create healthy cholesterol levels, HDL/LDL ratios and triglycerides.
Other key ingredients you should look for when purchasing a cholesterol-lowering product, which also work in synergy with red yeast rice are:
Policosanol
Co-Q10
Pantesin® d-Pantethine
Garlic Extract
Artichoke Leaf Extract
Guggulsterones
Phytosterols Complex
Cleanse & Strengthen Your Liver
This is exactly the problem my parents had in 1998 and that’s why they now use an “all-in-one” remedy called CholesLo™.
Today I’m talking about a fascinating supplement that really walks the line between being a supplement and a drug, since it has remarkable efficacy for lowering LDL cholesterol and ApoB. Red yeast rice contains small amounts of monacolin K, which in fact is a statin.
Although this supplement is safe if it comes from a reputable manufacturer, I will talk about why it’s very important to be monitored by a physician and follow the same guidelines that you would use if you were taking a prescription statin. I’ll talk about the pros and cons of red yeast rice, the dosing, potential side effects, and why you may (or may not) choose to take this over a prescription statin.
Do cholesterol-lowering supplements like red yeast rice and phytosterols work? Are they safe? Little-known aspects of supplements, doses and safety concerns.
A new trial compared a statin to several supplements. Rosuvastatin vs phytosterols vs red yeast rice
low dose of statin, 5mg. 1.6mg sterols, 2.4mg red yeast rice.
the active ingredients in red yeast rice are called monacolins, the main one being monacolin K.
analysis of trials using red yeast rice. lowered LDLcholesterol by 40pts. red yeast rice not significantly different from statin
not all trials report amount of monacolin K in the supplements. effect of supplements varies depending on where we get our bottle.
phytosterols: analysis of trials shows phytosterols lowers LDLc by ~8-10% So phytosterols probably do have a cholesterol-lowering effect its just mild
Quick caveat regarding phytosterols: some people are sterol hyperabsorbers in the intestine, and for those people, phytosterol supplements are not a good idea. Another option is a stanol, which also lowers cholesterol and doesnt get absorbed
caveat with supplements: safety. Most available data with red yeast rice suggests low side effects. trial for red yeast rice looked at risk.
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