Are you considering Red Yeast Rice supplements as a natural remedy that may lower your cholesterol levels? A high build-up of cholesterol narrows arteries (atherosclerosis), making it difficult for enough blood to flow through your veins. This build-up of fatty deposits in the blood vessels puts you at risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke. To learn more about Red Yeast Rice extract, please read our Cooper Clinic Physician Q&A: Red Yeast Rice blog.
What is Red Yeast Rice
Red yeast rice is a commercially available food supplement extracted from red rice and fermented with a fungus, Monascus purpureus. Some Red Yeast Rice products contain substances called monacolins, or natural statins, which are produced by the yeast. This extract has been used as traditional Chinese medicine as far back as 800 AD. Cooper Clinic physician, Dr. Michael Chapman, explains that some of his patients have an increased interest in the role of nutraceuticals, such as red yeast rice, as a substitution for statins. For these patients as well as those that can’t tolerate statin side effects, Dr. Chapman recommends consuming two (2) grams Red Yeast Rice per day.
The Science behind it
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) cites clinical trials where Red Yeast Rice products that contain substantial amounts of monacolin K, statins, can help lower blood cholesterol levels. Statins lower blood cholesterol levels by reducing the production of cholesterol by the liver.
What Is High Cholesterol
Did you know that total cholesterol can only be detected by a blood test and that it is made up of two lipoproteins? Low-Density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, known as unhealthful or “bad” cholesterol and High-Density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is known as “good” cholesterol. A high level of LDL increases the risk of blood clots or heart attack. Triglycerides are a type of fat (lipid) found in the blood and high concentrations indicate an elevated risk of stroke.
Evidence-Based Effects Of Red Yeast Rice
Chinese traditional medicine uses Red Yeast Rice extract for its powerful medicinal properties. Data of thousands of years of traditional use combined with clinical trials, indicate the many benefits of Red Yeast Rice. One review among patients who could not tolerate daily statin use found a decrease in total cholesterol as well as LDL cholesterol. Integrative Medicine reports “Red Yeast Rice is the most effective over-the-counter therapy for the treatment of elevated LDL cholesterol and reduces LDL levels by 20%-30%.” Such studies have made this supplement a popular, mainstream supplement alternative to prescription statins.
What is the Correlation of High Cholesterol with Health Risks
Leading medical organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and American Heart Association warn against uncontrolled high levels of Total and LDL Cholesterol. These are serious risk factors for (Atherosclerotic) stroke, coronary heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Other metabolic syndromes include high blood pressure, weight management, increased blood sugar and changes in cholesterol or triglyceride levels.
Prescription Drugs To Treat High Cholesterol
Your doctor may have prescribed statins to help lower dangerous levels of cholesterol in your blood. By lowering the levels, they help prevent heart attacks, stroke and even death from heart disease. Clinically formulated prescription statin drugs successfully help lower LDL cholesterol. Compounds such as Monacolin K are naturally occurring statins. These compounds are in prescription drug statins.
Are There Side Effects To Taking Red Yeast Rice
The side effects of Red Yeast Rice supplements may not be as adverse as those of prescription statin drugs. The side effects of a prescription statin drug may be mild headaches, heartburn, and upset stomach. Adverse side effects may include muscle pain, stomach upset, liver damage, liver inflammation or increased blood sugar in type 2 diabetes. Dr. Chapman recommends his patients that take either statins or red yeast rice take 50-100 mg CoQ10 to reduce side effects. Don’t drink alcohol if you are taking red yeast rice, because the combination might increase the risk of liver damage. Inform your doctor if you experience any side effects, because more extensive research needs to be done before we can know about the long-term safety of red yeast rice extract.
Dietary Ways to Help Naturally Lower your LDL Cholesterol
To reduce risks of LDL Cholesterol, heart attack and stroke, it is important to lower your cholesterol numbers. Cooper Clinic Registered Dietitian Nutritionists say the top dietary recommendation for lowering cholesterol is eliminating or at least drastically limiting the foods you eat that contain saturated fats, trans fat and dietary cholesterol. A heart-healthy diet that includes plenty of fiber, whole grains, fruit, vegetables, legumes and beans is an important step towards reducing your intake of saturated fat like that in red meats and full-fat dairy products.
Lifestyle Ways to Naturally Boost your HDL Cholesterol
You can help increase HDL cholesterol by your lifestyle choices. For example, losing excess weight, exercising regularly, and quitting alcohol and smoking. Exercise and weight loss are key cholesterol game-changers. A Sports Medicine study showed that daily aerobic and resistance exercise that elevates the heart rate to 85% of its maximum can increase HDL cholesterol and decrease LDL cholesterol. A long term weight loss study in obese men showed positive weight loss effects such as reducing the creation of new cholesterol and increasing the absorption of cholesterol from the diet. This helped to successfully lower total cholesterol in the study participants.
Cooper Complete Red Yeast Rice Supplements
Physician formulated, Cooper Complete recommends two (2) capsules containing 1,000 mg Red Yeast Rice twice daily, or as recommended by your health care professional.
It is best to take Red Yeast Rice with food. If you only take Red Yeast Rice once per day, taking at bedtime may be more beneficial to allow more of the product to reach the liver because the liver generally makes most cholesterol at night when dietary intake is lowest. Don’t take Red Yeast Rice if you’re pregnant, trying to become pregnant or breast-feeding. As with statins, Grapefruit and drinking grapefruit juice may increase the risk of side effects. You should not take it with St. John’s Wort. You should consult with your healthcare provider if you plan to take Red Yeast Rice supplements. Taken over the long term by healthy adults, Red Yeast Rice supplements may help lower blood cholesterol.
