Apparently, Some Red Yeast Rice Still Contains Lovastatin
The story of whether available red yeast rice products, over the last decade, actually have contained lovastatin is ridiculously complex and cryptic, but as recently as a few months ago the FDA (and DrRich) thought that all such products finally had been made completely bereft of any whiff of lovastatin (and thus, of any efficacy.)
Yesterday, however, the FDA issued a warning to consumers and health care professionals: some red yeast rice products, in fact, still contain lovastatin. These, according to the FDA's bulletin, are "Red Yeast Rice and Red Yeast Rice/Policosonal Complex, sold by Swanson Healthcare Products, Inc. and manufactured by Nature’s Value Inc. and Kabco Inc., respectively; and Cholestrix, sold by Sunburst Biorganics." The FDA warns consumers to avoid these products.
There is little doubt that these products are at this moment being rapidly purged from your grocers' shelves. DrRich is passing this along as a public service to the nation, and to all those people who have been writing to ask me if I know of any red yeast rice products that still contain a statin. I can finally answer: Yes, but only for a very limited time.
If you want to reduce your cholesterol by taking a statin, but without losing your shirt to the big drug companies, ask your doctor about generic statin drugs. They're readily available, really only a bit more expensive than red yeast rice, and as a bonus the statin dosage (which is known, unlike with the "natural" product) can be controlled and adjusted to optimize your results. And think of all the gas you'll save by not having to drive to 20 - 30 stores to find the last few bottles of effective red yeast rice before the feds do.
Comments
I have been taking red yeast rice, lovastatin and currently red yeast rice again for the last year and a half. In january of this year (2007) I started loosing my hair. Doctors have not been able to detrmine the cause. I am currently off lovastatind and have been taking red yeast rice since April. My hair is still falling out from the root. Could red yeast rice cause hair loss?
Not that I know of, but anything is possible. If your doctor wants you off lovastatin, then you should stop taking red yeast rice. Even the FDA doesn’t know for sure which of these products contains lovastatin.
Swanson Health products has issued a statement regarding their Red Yeast Rice.
The FDA notified Swanson Health Products that we cannot sell our current red yeast rice formulations, and therefore we have pulled the products from sale. Lovastatin is a naturally occurring component of red yeast rice; however, the FDA has taken issue with the level of lovastatin that is in our products based on their testing. The products will be reformulated and returned to our shelves as soon as possible.
For years Swanson Health Products has far exceeded the quality assurance standards set by the federal government for dietary supplements. Since 2001, we’ve participated in the GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) program of the Natural Products Association, and we have consistently received their “A” rating for our compliance to it. Swanson Health Products is committed to complying with all laws and regulations pertaining to our products.
Swanson Health Products is located in Fargo, ND, and has been a leading vitamin and health products company since 1969. Our customers are number one and to prove that, we offer powerful guarantees. All products are backed by a 100% Satisfaction, Money-Back Guarantee. If you are not satisfied with your purchase for any reason, simply return the unused portion for a full refund of the purchase price.
Too bad they are pulling the red rice yeast. I took it for a month and by LDL level went down about 60 points. I feel better than I have in years and attribute it to the rry and niacin.
I didn’t like the side effects with lipitor and stopped taking it.
Red yeast rice worked almost as good, negligible side effects, and no hassles with the doc and going in every 6 months for a blood draw/liver function test.
I doubt that the FDA ever considers how many people they kill versus how many they save by their heavy handed and authoritarian activities. Damn those guys.
Could the Red Yeast Rice producers (Swanson, etc.) sell to us online? My daughter and I need the statin but can’t tolerate pharmaceuticals as well as the natural statin. How long will we put up with the drug companies’ foot on our necks!?! This is an outrage.
My husband is still taking Red Yeast Rice. His Dr. was informed and gave the okay with the stipulation that YOU DO NEED A LIVER CK EVERY 6 mos. because of the statin content. His total cholesterol dropped dramatically. He started with 4 capsules daily….had muscle soreness, dropped back to 2/day, the slowly went back up to 3, then 4 /day with no side effects. Not only is Red Yeast Rice effective (at least the brand he takes) but much less expensive. The pharmaceuticals want total control of any effective preparation. Sad that all our options are being removed….It’s our health, let us make that choice as to what we want to take….as long as our Drs know about it, what is the problem. It’s really all about “the MONEY”!
If any individual person had been responsible for the number of deaths caused or hastened by the FDA, he would be known as the greatest mass killer in US history.
I am a manufacturer of red yeast rice from China. I don’t understand why FDA limited the RYR. It is a natural ingredient, and its merchanism are complex.
God forbid the FDA would look out for the consumers..maybe ordinary people need a lobbying group in DC like the drug companies have
i was told by my doctor to take 1200 mg ryr along with my regular 240mgs co-q10 and 500 mg niacin and omegas and lecithin granuals. i would like to know if there is a chance for bad reaction from combining these vitamins . due to the fact i take them together .
I have been taking red rice yeast for the past year, I assume without the statin but still have had good results in lowering my choleserol.
Last year I started taking one tablet of Red Rice Yeast, it worked well. This year at check up time my LdL was 131 and Tri’s were 160, a considerable jump The stuff I started on worked but the revised stuff doesn’t. Be warned. The health food stores need to quit selling the stuff without telling people that it is changed imo.
Every one I know usen red yeast rice and are doing very well ,think FDA needs to stay out of things that work and better for pocket book
Would someone who has used a particular brand of red yeast rice with success (ie, lower cholesterol, apparently no to few side effects) please recommend a brand and dosage? I just started taking it and am curious about whether or not what I’m taking will be effective.
Thank God for the FDA
or else the unscrupulous “Herbal” and “natural” drug makers who are only looking
to make a profit will kill us all!
Elizabeth – Instead of blasting the “herbal and Natural” supplements…..and saying they “kill us all”………PROVIDE PROOF OF HOW YOU “KNOW” THIS!
Yeah really, it’s not like the big pharm companies have never contributed and/or caused someone to die…get real. Wonder what the numbers would show if we compaired the two…I would be willing to bet that the big pharm companies are getting a lot richer from us than the natural product companies. A friend of mine who used to be a sales rep to one of those big pharm companies said they were told the instill the fear of God into Drs regarding the risk of natural products. So what do you think about that?
Just got results of blood work … my total cholesterol was 313 !!!
I have been put on three cholesterol lower prescriptions and had to stop due to side effects.
I to would like to know the brand of RYR people have used that has helped lower their cholesterol ….. PLEASE !
I just bought a brand at the health food store: RYR by TRADITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS … 1200 mg ….
For all of you out there that think the FDA is out to please the drug companies so they can get our money, don’t you think the “Natural” health-food stores are looking to do the same thing? Do you not realize that these companies can potentially put anything they want in their products b/c they’re NOT regulated?
My cholesterol level was 280, I started taking Red Yeast Rice twice a day and it dropped to 160.
Hi, George. What kind were you taking? I want to know if what’s on the market currently is effecive.
did you hear back from George because I am interested in his answer to your question.
I have just started to take RYR and was doing research to find out how effective it was and what the side effects were. I was very disappointed to find out that the effective products that contained the statin that would help people like was being pulled from the shelf. What, if any brand is still effective?
So, is nobody going to answer the question everybody wants answered. What is the brand that is effective?
My Cholesterol went from 230 to 170 in 5 months doing the following. Using rry almost every day in combination w/ Gugulipid (both Nature’s Plus brand). Also added Flax seed and lechithin to oatmeal (ate it every other day). Also used Co enzyme 10 and took extra potasuium (for heart) in combination with a Multi-vitamin (Nature’s Plus). My doctor said – ‘Keep doing what ever it is you’re doing!’ Ironically, when I told her what it was, she just shrugged and said ‘I don’t know anything about that stuff’ and buried her head back into my blood result paper. ANNOYING!
My PA recently suggested that I start taking RYR, but when I went online and found this site I was somewhat bothered by all the discussion and lack of availability. Are the docs and PA’s up to date on this?
I started RERice for 2 moths and my total cholestrol went down from 270 to 230 but LDL remains high at 169.
Any one konws about which brand is good for Lowering LDL
thanks
George can you tell me which brand you are taking.
thanks
come on george….were all waiting for the brand you were taking!!havn’t left my computer since your message.wilting away.hurry george hurry.choke,gasp.
I had a heart attack exactly one year ago today. I had no insurance. Hopsital bills aside, the drugs that I was prescribed came to a whopping $250.00 per month. On a part-time bartenders salary, that was impossible. I happened to meet a retired heart doctor who advised me to take RYR instead of the prescribed drug and a baby aspirin. I just had a check-up; all of my levels are now great. I am not suggesting that anyone go off a regime that a physician has put you on. But for me, these simple moves have made a world of difference to my health as well as my pocketbook!
I’ve been up all night trying to find out where to buy ryr. My Cholesterol level is elivated and my Dr wants me to take Lipador. Ireally need to find a safe and natural ryr product. Got any suggestions?
Hi, everyone. I have been taking RYR since May, 1200 mg twice daily. After just 4 weeks, my LDL count dropped by about 25%, and the HDLs increased by 10%, putting my total cholesterol under 200. So, I bought a 6-month supply from Vitamin World. Now, I need to replenish my supply, but the lovastatin controversy made me call Vitamin World. They say that there were companies *adding* lovastatin to their RYR, and that is why the FDA is objecting. The lady I spoke to assured me that Vitamin World has not changed their manufacturing process of RYR, because their RYR contains only the naturally occuring amount of lovastatin.
I’ll see the doctor next week, and am curious to see if the LDL level is lower.
What brand of red rice yeast is effective?
I would suggest taking anything that is an extract. The levels will be higher than just regular RYR
Solaray has the best Red Yeast Rice I know of.
I have been taking this brand for years. As far as I know, it is very trustworthy
I know Solaray contains red yeast rice and has a great reputation.
It doesn’t have any lovastatin in it. Only the Cholestin3.
Is Rexall Red Yeast Rice safe? I have been taking it about a year and dropped 20 points.
Thom Baker is correct. The FDA is cracking down on RYR products that have lovastatin added to the RYR preparation prior to nanufacturing the dosage size. When this happens the product is no longer considered a dietary supplement , but a drug and that means the product must go through clinical trials as a new drug application.
Recently, the addition of lovastatin to RYR raw ingredients occured in material imported from China.
In addition, the lovastatin that is added is not a pharmaceutical grade and the impurities in the lovastatin drug may cause additional side effects.
Natural RYR products should be titered for potency and not necessarily sold by weight (mg)alone.
I have been struggling with my cholesterol for over 15 years now! I tried every statin and RX but all had bad side effects so I had to stop.I have been been using apple cider vinegar tablets for about 2 years now and my cholesterol dropped from 10.2 to 5.2 which is almost 50% and have no side effects. I would recommend anybody to try it, as it is not expensive and has many other benefits as well. Read about it online!
I take red yeast rice from http://www.lenandjoe.com In three months my ldl went from 164 to 124 and my total from 224 to 195.There nutritionist from Pittsburh ,Pa.Check out there sight.It’s made in the U.S.A.
Lipitor is the biggest scam of the drug companies. They repackage a natural product, put a bunch of crap that is harmful to you and then get the FDA and the medical professionals to force it down out throats just to make a few dollars. A shame.
The way you have written the article is somewhat odd. Red yeast rice is a natural product. It’s been consumed for generations by hundreds of millions around the world.
The statin it contains was “patented” by a pharm which then used lobbying to make the natural product illegal – to insure a monopoly.
What was a healthy safe product was turned into a controlled substance.
I was taking the Rexall Brand of ryr purchased at Sam’s but when it disappeared from shelves late 07 I went without for 3 mos. I just got back on ryr purchased from Puritan’s Pride. Can anyone vouch for PP’s ryr? I too, think that anytime I can get better health while avoiding prescription drugs, I will do it. Anyone on this board who gives testimonials for ryr would serve us all well by stating the BRAND they are having success or failure with. Thank you all!
I have been taking RYR from PP for the past 6 month, my overall cholesterol level jumped to borderline, my MD is pleased with the result.
John, it jumped and your physician was pleased? Do you mean it went down with the Puritan Pride?
Yes it went down with Puritan Pride, I take 3 RYR pills daily.
I just bought Rexall RRY at Sam’s Club over the weekend. 180 capsules, 600mg each, $9.12. Bottle’s label recommends 2 capsules, which “contain 1,200 milligrams of Red Yeast Rice Powder from the botanical Monascus purpureus.”
I just started taking it, so no news of results.
I have numerous patients on a formula called Heart Savior out of New Health Corp. This product has Non-flushing Niacin,Gugglipid,Policosanol,Plant Sterols,Coenzyme Q-10 and RYR all in one capsule. Patients love it b/c the don’t have to take numerous supplements and their LDL’s and Total cholesterol levels are significantly reduced.
Another big government plot to control anything natural that will help people.
It’s always about the money.
I am taking Vitamin World’s Red Yeast Rice plus Co Q-10. I had my first blood work up but do not have the results at this time, however, my doctor always calls if there is a problem and needs to see me, yet, so far he has not called and this is almost 3 weeks ago. I only take one a day per directions. It must be doing it’s job. My Cholesterol probs are inherited. I eat organically, since birth!! My opinion of the FDA:
They need a new board of directors and decision makers. The majority of them just need the job and the money because there is generally no logic in the idea in regards to the health of the public, even though they are part of the ‘public’. Some of these people have been on the board way to long.
My story:
I had started taking four capsules/day of the Swanson brand of RYR in 2005. My cholesterol dropped dramatically over six months. When the results came back that I was in the normal range, I decreased to two/day.
In June 2007, my cholesterol was increasing again so I decided to up my dose back to the four/day recommendations. On August 23 I was hospitalized for pancreatitis. Since I don’t drink, the docs were a little perplexed as to the reason for my illness. Finally, the discharge doc said that it was probably from the RYR. My husband found an FDA recall on this particular brand. Since then, I’ve been afraid to try another type.
I’ve tried four different cholesterol-lowering drugs with terrible side effects. I decided to try RYR again, but still afraid, especially if it’s made exclusively in China. Because my cholesterol problem is genetic, eating right and exercising does nothing for me, but I’ve got to lower it somehow. I read above that apple cider vinegar might help. Maybe I can try that also.
People assumed that anything “natural” is harmless and that manufactured “drugs” are toxic. You have to remember that many “natural” remedies are effective for a reason, and in this case it seems to be effective because it is the same thing as the “chemical” medication. The FDA is regulating it because these medications, “natural” or manufactured have side effects that can be potentially dangerous. So the bottom line is that red yeast rice could potentially cause side effects due to the “natural chemicals” that it contains and thus it ought to be regulated as a medication. Remember that arsenic, marijuana, cocaine and opium are all “natural” substances but have potential for great harm. Be careful to be informed about what you’re taking and don’t just assume that something natural is completely safe.
I am confused? Did the FDA ban all ryr products or only those that were enhanced? It has worked for me but the last blood work showed a jump. Could it be the company deleted the statin and i dont know? Did only enhanced ryr show a decrease in c levels in the past?
Steele… Have any of your patients had side effects from the Heart Savior? My mother (60) has been taking it for several weeks and has complained of general muscle weakness as well as heart palpitations. Thanks so much!
This Brand works with a proviso!! Test results follow! My Cholesterol is 240 (HDL ~70 and LDL ~140) and I have tried many different natural remedies to lower it w/o using statins[10mg/day Lipitor reduced LDL to ~70]. Avoiding Lipitor but using 2x 800mg/day No Flush Niacin(Inositol Hexanicotinate) HAD NO EFFECT, LDL remaining ~140. Flush Niacin 2x 500mg/day had no effect on LDL but lowered Triglicerides 20% and possibly increased HDL 8%. One 600mg capsule/day of Natures Plus brand Red Yeast Rice, purchased from the Life Extension Foundation, http://www.lef.org/ lowered total Cholesterol 70 points to 140 and reduced LDL 50 points to 90. HOWEVER, it also lowered the good HDL ~25% to 53 AND caused typical statin side effects such as reduced libido and muscle soreness.
http://www.luckyvitamin.com/item/?itemKey=62499&site=google_base
At the above web site you will find the brand of Red Yeast Rice (600mg) that my husband and I use with great results (and the best price).
My husband’s cholesterol is now 189. He takes 4capsules/day and has a blood test every 6 months. His higest TC was 259.
I started with 2 capsules /day instead of 4 and my Total Cholesterol went from 281 to 219 in 3 months. Since getting such a good result, I am now taking 3 capsules/ day and will get another blood test in the future.
My Naturopath and medical doctors know I am taking this supplement and approve.
My Naturopath says she has never heard of anyone reporting liver damage with RYR. so the blood test isn’t really necessary. But I would recommend it to see if RYR is working.
I have a good HDL..was 139 and still remains over 100. Common for females to have this high/good cholesterol although it adds to the Total Cholesterol,it is still a good thing.
By the way you can’t take RYR and a prescription statin together. It’s one or the other.
I have been taking RYR (Radiance) and Niacin for over a year and reduced my TC from 275 to 208 (at its lowest)however, I just had liver function tests done and they came back elevated, so will need to go back in for more testing to see what that is about. I will be curious to find out if it is the RYR causing this…..
after reading much, it looks to me like ryr works, where the problem is: 1. patience is in reasonable doses, 2. as drug co. vitamin co. are also about the bottom line so if they, the ryr vendors, are inhancing their pills with the product in the pharma pill then yes i agree that the fda should regulate them and be a watch dog for us; however, this doesnot mean that the drug co. are not out to cause a monopoly on a single product; my faith in man, who is fueled by greed is low at the moment……… so bottom line: i am trying 2 different ryr one from Puritan 600mg and one from Swanson also 600mg w one pill a.m form one and the other in the p.m. hope this works because my levels, genetic, are up around 400+ and i have 3 kids and want to be around for much more than my 49 years of life.
anyone know anything about Saki, rice wine which requires some fermentation? Japan has one of the righest rates of long life, and lowest rate of heart disease….. could itbe rice wine, i’d rather drink it than pop some pills… anyone ? ? email me back at mikezpainter at aol dot com
10/08
walmart’s nature’s bounty 2 a day and 500mg trader’s joe’s slo-niacin (nicotinic acid) each x 2 months along with an inrease in fruits and veg along with less a moderate decrease in junky fats:
TC: from 286 to 200
HDL from 139 to 80
VLDL 28 to 16
LDL from 195 to 107
Will increase niacin from 500mg to 1000mg. I take it night right before i fall asleep so it doesn’t bother me.
let me make a correction, i meant to say my HDL went from 63 to 77 and my triglycerides went from 139 to 80
Hi! supplement human growth hormone
This whole thing was a scam by the FDA. I describe the scam in more detail here.
http://forums.christianity.com/Red_Yeast_Rice_and_the_FDA/m_3777330/mpage_1/tm.htm#1
The pharmaceutical companies put out disinformation.They are in league with the FDA, anyone should know that. They are like Nazis. Over the years they have banned and confiscated many good herbal remedies. Herbs are competion. They probably have someone bad mouthing herbs on this very forum. Swanson had great RYR. Now I don’t know where to find
any it’s equal
Great feedback, but still unclear about effectiveness of current ryr. wouldn’t hurt to try one of the brands for three months and check cholesterol levels. i didn’t see any evidence of the ban having to do with companies adding levostatin, it appears to be naturally occuring. The reformulation appears to be using another yeast strain that doesn’t produce the levostatin?
This is yet another attempt for the FDA to control the supplements industry. If only they would recomend taking CoQ10 considering the statins lower you CoQ10 production. But then again, they will also prescribe you an antibiotic and shrug off taking a probiotic… that is, until they make a pharmaceutical version that would probably cost 200 buck with no insurance. Like their fish oil! Hah!
Recently one of my friends started an obsession with the actor Nicholas Cage (mostly because their names are both Nicholas – sounds strange but he is strange and that isn’t the point). After asking around the rest of my friends he seems to be a very controversial figure.
What does the forum think? do you love the all action superhero? Or do you hate the droning voice of the man who does nothing but action shooters?
I have been using Cholestene by http://www.hpfonline.com since 2003 without any side affects. Everyone I tell about this brand has had similar positive results.
My TC went from 221 to 156 the first month. The other numbers improved to all be considered normal. Over time I noticed that while the TC remained excellent, my Trig and LDL were creaping back into the wrong direction. So recently I added Fish Oil and my TC and Trig decreased to their best ever.
I do not know if Cholestene reduced the lovastatin levels somewhere in the period between 2003 and now but it seems to still be working well for me with this combination.
I currently take blood pressure meds, is it ok to take red yeast rice??
Is red yeast hair good for cholesterol? Does it have any side effects? Please let me know. I want to use it. Thanks.
My cholesterol level has increased recently and I am looking for natural ways to reduce it. I think I can try red yeast rice. Thanks for the suggestion.
Are there any natural ways to treat cholesterol?