An Ancient Remedy to Lower Cholesterol

[Guest guest]

ABC World News

June 15, 2009 6:29 PM

Red yeast rice -- it's been a staple of some Asian countries for more than a

thousand years. When it¹s used as food coloring, it gives peking duck its

signature red glow. But when it¹s used as an herbal medicine -- it lowers

cholesterol.

Red yeast rice is produced when yeast grows on rice. A study released today

followed a group of people who stopped taking statins because it left them

with severe muscle pains. In the study, half of the participants took 1800

mg of red yeast rice supplements every day. After 12 weeks, those taking

the supplements saw their LDL, or ³bad cholesterol,² lower by 27 percent.

Only 6 percent of those who did not get the supplements saw their LDL

decrease.

Earlier research on heart attack patients showed those who took red yeast

rice every day were 45 percent less likely to have another attack within

five years.

However, the supplement doesn¹t come without controversy. Whether it¹s

purchased as dried grains, ground powder or a pill from a health food store,

it¹s difficult to be certain exactly how much of the active ingredient your

consuming or whether it¹s been contaminated in any way. Therefore, patients

are advised to consult their doctor.

For more on heart health, and how red yeast rice can help your heart, watch

McKenzie¹s report on World News at 6:30pm ET.

[Guest guest]

Red yeast rice actually contains a statin.....lovastatin.... in it.......that's

why it lowers cholesterol.

It is no longer legal in the U.S. to sell red yeast rice that contains

cholesterol lowering substances in it.

http://www.medicinenet.com/red_yeast_rice_and_cholesterol/article.htm

http://heartdisease.about.com/cs/cholesterol/a/Nrxcol_rry.htm

This is a quote from the second website:

Red yeast rice in the past reduced cholesterol levels because it contained

(among many other chemicals), one of the statin drugs, namely lovastatin. (The

statin drugs are the most effective cholesterol-lowering agents used in medicine

today. They were originally derived from yeast products.)

Studies using the " original " form of red yeast rice accordingly confirmed

significant reductions in cholesterol levels.

However, the story does not stop there. In fact, the story became pretty

confusing right after the clinicals studies confirming the efficacy of red yeast

rice were published in 1999. First, because red yeast rice was found to contain

lovastatin, the FDA made an administrative decision that this dietary supplement

(often sold as Cholestin in earlier times) was a regulable drug, and thus

removed it from the unregulated shelves of the health food store.

Then, in 1999, the FDA ruling on red rice yeast was overturned by the court of

the District of Utah. But finally, in 2000, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of

Appeals ruled that red yeast rice IS subject to FDA regulation. Since then, the

FDA has aggressively gone after companies selling red rice yeast containing

lovastatin. While red rice yeast is still available on the grocer's shelf, the

stuff that is out there now is apparently fermented using a different process,

and apparently (I say " apparently " because it is in fact extraordinarily

difficult to find out what dietary supplements do and do not contain) does NOT

contain lovastatin. Therefore, (the active ingredient having been removed) its

ability to lower cholesterol levels is probably nil. (This explains why the

otherwise colorful labels no longer tout the cholesterol-lowering properties of

the product.)

Bob

>

> ABC World News

> June 15, 2009 6:29 PM

>

> Red yeast rice -- it's been a staple of some Asian countries for more than a

> thousand years. When it¹s used as food coloring, it gives peking duck its

> signature red glow. But when it¹s used as an herbal medicine -- it lowers

> cholesterol.

>

> Red yeast rice is produced when yeast grows on rice. A study released today

> followed a group of people who stopped taking statins because it left them

> with severe muscle pains. In the study, half of the participants took 1800

> mg of red yeast rice supplements every day. After 12 weeks, those taking

> the supplements saw their LDL, or ³bad cholesterol,² lower by 27 percent.

> Only 6 percent of those who did not get the supplements saw their LDL

> decrease.

>

> Earlier research on heart attack patients showed those who took red yeast

> rice every day were 45 percent less likely to have another attack within

> five years.

>

> However, the supplement doesn¹t come without controversy. Whether it¹s

> purchased as dried grains, ground powder or a pill from a health food store,

> it¹s difficult to be certain exactly how much of the active ingredient your

> consuming or whether it¹s been contaminated in any way. Therefore, patients

> are advised to consult their doctor.

>

> For more on heart health, and how red yeast rice can help your heart, watch

> McKenzie¹s report on World News at 6:30pm ET.

>