Red yeast rice is rice with Monascus purpureus yeast grown on it. This type of yeast can contain the active ingredient in the cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, however, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers statin-containing red yeast rice an illegal drug. Many red yeast rice supplements in the United States no longer contain statins, but those from other countries may. Red yeast rice is sometimes used as a natural way to lower cholesterol without using prescription drugs. However, using statins may be preferable to using red yeast rice.
Dosage
A common dose is 1,200 mg of concentrated red yeast rice powder twice a day with food, according to MayoClinic.com. If you are taking red yeast rice that contains statins, this can provide up to 5 mg or 10 mg of statins that are similar to the prescription drug lovastatin.
Benefits
Red yeast rice supplements that contain statins may lower your cholesterol levels, according to MedlinePlus, but those that do not contain statins have not been shown to have this effect. Taking the recommended dose of red yeast rice is actually a lot more expensive than taking statins, and the quality, purity and amount of the effective ingredient in each capsule can vary greatly, since supplements are not well regulated.
Red Yeast Rice vs. Statins
A study published in the July 2008 issue of the "Mayo Clinic Proceedings" found that participants who took a combination of red yeast rice and omega-3 supplements reduced LDL cholesterol levels as much as those taking simvastatin, and had a greater reduction in triglyceride levels. However, part of this effect may have been due to the omega-3 supplements, which the participants taking simvastatin did not take.
Considerations
The levels of statins vary greatly in red yeast rice supplements, and some also contain toxins, according to a study published in the "Archives of Internal Medicine" in October 2010. Since red yeast rice may contain statins, these supplements may have similar side effects and interact with the same medications as statins, including medications that harm the liver, gemfibrozil, cyclosporine and niacin. These supplements may also interact with grapefruit juice.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Red Yeast Rice (Monascus Purpureus); April 2011
- "Archives of Internal Medicine"; Marked Variability of Monacolin Levels in Commercial Red Yeast Rice Products; Ram Y. Gordon, M.D.; October 2010
- MedlinePlus; Red Yeast; November 2010
- "Mayo Clinic Proceedings"; Is Red Yeast Rice a Suitable Alternative for Statins?; Maia Carter, M.D., et al.; November 2008
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