Red Yeast Rice - Cholesterol

Red Yeast Rice Found as Effective as Statin Drug for Cholesterol Reduction.

A study conducted at Chestnut Hill Hospital and the University of Pennsylvania (Mayo Clinic Proceedings, July 2008; vol 83: pp 58-764) found that supplementation with fish oil and red yeast rice, in conjunction with dietary change and regular exercise lowered blood cholesterol levels as effectively as treatment with a cholesterol-lowering statin drug.

Study subjects included 74 individuals with high blood cholesterol levels who did not have coronary artery disease. They were divided into two study groups that were evaluated after 12 weeks of treatment. The conventional treatment group received Zocor (40 mg), a commonly prescribed statin drug, along with handouts on diet and exercise. The supplementation group received fish oil and red yeast rice. The supplement group received three fish oil capsules twice daily; those with an LDL level greater than 160 mg/dL received 1800 mg of red yeast rice twice daily, while those with an LDL level of 160 or less, received 1200 mg of red yeast rice twice daily. The supplement group also attended weekly meetings on lifestyle where they were taught by a cardiologist and a dietitian to follow a modified Mediterranean diet, (lipids less than 25% of daily total calories) and to exercise 30 to 45 minutes five to six times per week.

After 12 weeks LDL levels had declined 42% in the supplement group and 39% in the conventional treatment group (not a statistically significant difference). The supplement group had also lost an average of 10 pounds over 12 weeks; there was no significant weight loss in the conventional treatment group. Triglyceride levels decreased by 29% in the supplement group compared to 9.3% in the conventional group, a significant difference between the two groups.

Researchers stated that identifying alternatives to conventional cholesterol lowering medication may be important since it has been found that as many as 40% of people given a statin prescription continue to take it for less than a year.

Red yeast rice is the product of yeast (Monascus purpureus) grown on rice, and is a dietary staple in some Asian countries. It contains several compounds collectively known as monacolins, substances known to inhibit cholesterol synthesis. The use of red yeast rice in China was first documented in the Tang Dynasty in 800 A.D. A detailed description of its manufacture is found in the ancient Chinese pharmacopoeia published during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

A number of animal and human studies conducted in China since 1995 showed that red yeast rice consumption resulted in lowered serum cholesterol levels in a range of 11-32% and triglycerides 12-19%. A UCLA study published in the February 1999 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that subjects who received 2400 mg daily of red yeast rice experienced significantly reduced cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL levels after 8 weeks, as compared with placebo. Researchers observed no adverse effects in test subjects and found no changes in liver and renal function tests conducted before and after the study.