These products claim to lower cholesterol, but levels of active agent run the gamut


TUESDAY, Oct. 26 (HealthDay News) -- There are widely inconsistent amounts of active ingredient in different formulations of popular red yeast rice supplements, a new study finds. The supplements are marketed as a way to lower cholesterol levels.


In addition, four of the 12 products included in the study had detectable levels of a potentially toxic compound called citrinin, which can damage the kidneys. The toxin is produced by a fungus.


In 2008, Americans spent about $20 million on red yeast rice supplements.


"Several studies have shown that specific formulations of red yeast rice reduce low-density lipoprotein [LDL or 'bad'] cholesterol significantly compared with placebo. This is likely related to the effects of monacolin K and the 13 other monacolins in the supplement, which also works to lower the production of cholesterol in the liver," wrote a team led by Dr. Ram Y. Gordon of Chestnut Hill Hospital in Philadelphia, and Abington Memorial Hospital in Abington, Pa.


In fact, monacolin K is purified and marketed as the cholesterol-lowering drug lovastatin (Mevacor), the researchers noted.


However, according to the study authors, in order to avoid being considered an unapproved drug, manufacturers do not standardize or reveal the levels of monacolin K or other monacolins in their red yeast rice supplements.


Analyses of the 12 products included in this study found that levels of total monacolins ranged from 0.31 milligrams to 11.15 milligrams per capsule, and levels of monacolin K or lovastatin ranged from 0.10 milligrams to just over 10 milligrams per capsule.


"Red yeast rice has been used for centuries for its medicinal properties and is an increasingly popular alternative lipid-lowering therapy that may benefit patients with a history of coronary disease who cannot take statins, subjects who refuse statins or who prefer a 'natural' approach to pharmacotherapy, or patients with a history of statin-associated myalgias [muscle pains]," the researchers wrote.


"However, our study found dramatic variability of monacolin levels in commercial products and the presence of citrinin in one-third of formulations," they added. "Further oversight and standardization of the production and labeling of red yeast rice products may address some of the concerns raised in this study. Until these issues are addressed, physicians should be cautious in recommending red yeast rice to their patients for the treatment of hyperlipidemia [high cholesterol] and primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease."


The study appears in the Oct. 25 issue of the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.


https://www.healthscout.com/news/1/644828/main.html

__________________
-
- Jim
�Look! Out the window! There is a flying cow!� St.Thomas Aquinas looked, and they all burst into laughter. He calmly replied, �I would rather believe that the cow is flying than that my friends would lie to me!�

Red Yeast rice has mevacor (as noted) and produces the same side effects as mevacor and other statins. Even though it is natural does not mean it is good for you.

Red yeast rice effective where statins fail

By Stephen Daniells, 06-Apr-2010
Dietary supplements of red yeast rice may lower LDL cholesterol levels by 21 per cent, and offer a blood lipid lowering alternative for people intolerant to statins, says a new study.


Reductions in total cholesterol levels of 15 per cent were also reported, and 92 per cent of participants tolerated the dietary supplement, according to findings published in the American Journal of Cardiology.



�The present report has provided real-world evidence of LDL cholesterol reduction with nonselected, over-the-counter red yeast rice therapy in an outpatient population intolerant to other lipid medications,� wrote the researchers from the University of Tennessee, Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, and the University of Connecticut.



�Producing red yeast rice under controlled conditions could provide a widely available and safe dietary supplement for lowering cholesterol,� they added.
Red yeast rice is the product of yeast grown on rice. It is a dietary staple in some Asian countries, and reportedly contains several compounds that inhibit cholesterol production.



The new study supports similar findings for the ingredient, with American researchers reporting that the red yeast rice could indeed help reduce blood lipid levels in people intolerant to statins (Annals of Internal Medicine, Vol. 150, pp. 830-839).



Regulatory approval
Only recently the European Commission�s Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health deemed the ingredient to not be a novel food, a decision that facilitates the use of the ingredient in dietary supplements without having to undergo novel food approval.




Consideration of the ingredient�s status was requested by Belgium, and Italy confirmed that food supplement products containing red yeast rice were indeed on the Italian market before the Novel Food Regulation entered into law on May 15, 1997.



Study details
Led by Dr Paul Thompson from the University of Connecticut, the researchers collected data on 25 people who received red yeast rice supplements for at least four weeks, based on patient charts. All the patients were intolerant to statins, and noted adverse effects including muscle pain and gastrointestinal intolerance.



The data from the patients showed that red yeast rice was associated with a 15 and 21 per cent reduction in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels, respectively.
�This retrospective observational study of a clinical population demonstrated significant LDL cholesterol reductions with red yeast rice therapy in a population highly intolerant to daily statin use,� wrote Thompson and his co-workers.



The authors also noted the key limitations of their study, including that it was �small, unblinded, uncontrolled, and retrospective�. They also note that patients selected their own red yeast rice preparation.



Source: The American Journal of Cardiology
Volume 105, Issue 5, Pages 664-666
�Lipid-Lowering Efficacy of Red Yeast Rice in a Population Intolerant to Statins�
Authors: C.V. Venero, J.V. Venero, D.C. Wortham, P.D. Thompson

It contains lovastatin. I would not ever consider taking a statin. I would find other measures to help with liver production of cholesterol. I believe mainstream cholesterol problems are a myth.

However, if nothing else worked and if I believed that having high cholesterol were a problem for my health, I would try red yeast rice. I'm inclined to think that such a natural substance would have other balancing agents to keep the statin from being such a problem. Same with seaweed. Seaweed contains a few toxic metals, but is very well balanced to keep them from producing harm.

Thanks jfh. I've never had the need to take this supplement, but I remember reading about it on the forum a long time ago. Here's a post from Harry Hirsute from 2008:

/f25/3176-red-yeast-rice-possible-contamination.html

__________________
"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." ~Immanual Kant~

Funny thing about natural products. In many cases they work much better than the purified chemical because of co-factors. Crude interferon extract is pretty good as an anti cancer drug, but because big pharma cannot patent a crude extract, they haveto have the pure chemical. Pure interferon is not that effective.

Phama tends to take something natural and force the body to assimilate it. Somethings are not meant to assimilate, like saponins. They don't work well with red blood cells, but they are very good for what they do.

You are quite right. Just because they are natural, doesn't mean they are safe, as you said. Take sida kordifina. It is good for when alkalis are needed. It is fun to take, because it acts as whites or speed. Since it is banned in the USA, most people would not be able to have access to it anymore. It went the way of ma huang and other ephedra herbs.