Red Yeast Rice to Reduce Cholesterol

The American Heart Association has stated that people have cholesterol blood levels below 200 are considered safe. If a person has levels that is above 240 should be considered high and possibly dangerous. People whose cholesterol level is between 200 and 240 are in the gray area. They have a high chance of developing heart disease in the near future.

People with high cholesterol are looking at different ways to try and reduce so they will not have to worry about the threat of heart disease or other health conditions. This can be done with individuals doing exercise and a change of diet. This may not be enough. People can use medication but it can upset the stomach, cause some amount of sensitivity to the sun and at times can cause muscle break down and even liver damage. The way people are looking to reduce cholesterol is with the use of red yeast rice.

Red yeast rice is commonly used in Asia as a spice for food.  It is also used widely for its medicinal properties. Studies were conducted at UCLA in 1999. It suggested that red yeast rice can be effective in treating high cholesterol. The study stated that “study reported that after 12 weeks, cholesterol levels among the 79 participants decreased by 15 percent, and all for about one-fifth the price of pharmaceuticals.” This was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This study was conducted due to studies done in China that showed red yeast rice lowered cholesterol from 43 percent to 32.

Red Yeast Rice and the Prevention of Cholesterol

Statin drugs are the most commonly used drugs to treat high cholesterol. Read yeast rice works in the same as they both inhibit a certain liver enzyme from producing cholesterol. Drugs like Lipitor are widely prescribed to combat high cholesterol. Red yeast rice does essentially the same thing and there are no adverse side effects like what is seen with the statin drugs.

Nevertheless, doctors warn that you should not use either pharmaceutical statins or red yeast rice if you suffer from liver disease, or if you are pregnant or nursing. Anyone considering taking red yeast rice to lower their cholesterol should seek the advice of their physician first.

 

Warnings with Red Yeast Rice and Cholesterol

The Food and Drug Administration has warned that three brands of red yeast rice supplements may contain a drug that could be harmful to your health.
Red yeast rice is being promoted as a dietary supplement that has the potential to treat high cholesterol. Over the years it has been noted that red yeast rice can help to reduce your bad cholesterol. This is very beneficial. However the FDA has warned the public that they should stay away from certain products that could possibly contain the prescription medication known as lovastatin:

• Red Yeast Rice and Red Yeast Rice/Policosanol Complex sold by Swanson Health Products Inc. and manufactured by Nature's Value Inc. and Kabco Inc.
• Cholestrix, sold by Sunburst Biorganics.

Lovastatin is a type of cholesterol-lowering drug known as a statin. It is used in a wide variety of medicines that is used to treat high cholesterol. The reason why red yeast rice might be potentially dangerous is the presence of lovastatin. No one knows the levels or quality of lovastatin that might be in red yeast rice products.

What is Lovastatin and why is it Potentially Dangerous?

Lovastatin can interact with many different types of medication. This could become very harmful to your health. Lovastatin can also cause severe muscle problems that can result in kidney damage. This risk is especially true if you take higher doses of lovastatin, or combine lovastatin with other medications that make you more susceptible to muscle problems.

Who Are Suitable Candidates for Red Yeast Rice Products?

The use of red yeast rice to reduce cholesterol has no one consensus. Many doctors often prescribe weight loss, a good diet and exercise as a way to lower cholesterol. If this does not work then the doctor can go to the next level and us statins to reduce LDL cholesterol. Statins have been proven as an effective method to reduce and lower cholesterol and then in turn reduce the risk of heart attack and strokes. Not every patient receives this stains well and some people are also unwilling to take them. In this case the other option could be the use of red yeast rice to reduce their cholesterol level.

Who Are Not Suitable Candidates for Red Yeast Rice?

The use of red yeast rice to reduce cholesterol is not for everyone. These include but are not limited to, people with moderate to severe cholesterol abnormalities. These people are at a high risk of developing heart attacks or strokes are not candidates for red yeast rice. People who fall into this category are those who have a higher than normal risk of heart attacks, or people who have srtokes or a previous heart attack. Added to the list are also people who have atherosclerosis in the arteries and diabetes mellitus. For people who have any of those ailments, the use of red yeast rice (along with weight loss, diet, and exercise) usually is not enough to achieve the degree of cholesterol lowering desired.