People who look for "natural" ways to lower their blood cholesterol levels often turn to a product called red yeast rice, a food-medicine that has been used for more than a thousand years in China.
If you're one of them, you will like the results of an intriguing study done in China using 5,000 subjects with a prior history of heart disease, but don't take that as our final word. Instead, read on to learn about tests of the purity of RYR supplements.
A recent study in China found that people taking this supplement showed a significant reduction in blood lipids as well as recurrent heart disease after 4.5 years, compared with those who were taking a placebo; total mortality was also decreased.
Researchers found that the red yeast rice was well-tolerated, and no major side effects were reported.
The supplements in the study were quite effective, although they contained less lovastatin than what is found in the standard doses of Mevacor. Researchers speculate that other compounds in the RYR besides the monacolin-K help to lower cholesterol, including plant sterols.
Before you run out to the health food store to stock up on red yeast rice, though, we want to make you aware of several reasons why you should be cautious.
Red yeast rice contains chemicals known as monacolins, and as it turns out, Monacolin-K is identical to lovastatin, the cholesterol-lowering statin drug (trade name Mevacor).
As with the prescription drugs, these chemicals may irritate the liver and muscles. For that reason, the Food and Drug Administration advises U.S. consumers not to take red yeast rice.
The FDA staff is concerned that RYR users might not get regular follow-up with doctors – or even alert them that they're taking it.
To further complicate matters, red yeast rice may also be contaminated by a kidney toxin called citrinin, a chemical produced when rice is fermented by yeast.
Independent testing by Consumer Lab offers reason for concern: The toxin citrinin was found in four of the 10 supplements that were tested.
In addition, all of the products claimed to have the same amount of red yeast rice per pill, but the actual amount measured in each pill varied a hundred-fold.
We suggest you subscribe to Consumer Lab, about $30 a year, for supplement information. The Web site is www.consumerlab.com.
Drs. Kay Judge and Maxine Barish-Wreden are medical directors of Sutter's Downtown Integrative Medicine program. Have a question related to alternative medicine? E-mail adrenaline@sacbee.com.
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