You may have heard of red yeast rice as a simple way to lower your cholesterol. After all, that's what some manufacturers want to believe. But don't fall for it -- it's a scam. What's more, many red yeast rice manufacturers have been spiking their product with statins to make them seem more effective. If you're interested in lowering your cholesterol, there are better ways to do it than wasting your money -- exercising and eating well will do more for your health than any so-called miracle cure will.
1. RYR naturally contains many compounds that are chemically identical to statins and have the similar effect on the liver's HMG-CoA system, but usually at a lower concentration than prescription drug levels. If the supplement is from a reputable supplier, with Mass spect. and GC testing available on the imported raw materials from China, then what is the problem? I would think for patients with borderline levels or who have positive history for heart disease that this would be a more conservative first approach to reaping the benefit of daily statins. If the lipid profiles improve, and the cost to the patient is lower, this seems like a reasonable alternative with a reduced likelihood of side effects.
Posted at 6:29PM on Sep 20th 2007 by Dr. J