I have tried to summarize here the story of red yeast rice (RYR), and the FDA's long and convoluted attempts to rid the shelves of RYR that contains the effective ingredient (which is lovastatin, a naturally-occuring statin drug).
But now investigators from Chestnut Hill Hospital in Flourtown, PA report that they performed a small study in which 62 patients who were unable to take statins (due to muscle pain caused by the drugs) were randomized to take either RYR or placebo. After a 12-week period of time (during which all participants also engaged in an intensive lifestyle-management program), those who had been randomized to RYR had significantly improved cholesterol levels.
Furthermore, despite their previous intolerance of statin drugs, all but two of these patients seemed to tolerate RYR without any problems.
The authors caution that the formulation of RYR they used was carefully controlled, in contrast to the RYR you can buy over the counter.
While the FDA believes it has successfully removed from the shelves any RYR that still contains a regulated drug (i.e. lovastatin), RYR is known to contain other compounds that are very similar to lovastatin. Presumably, the cholesterol-lowering effect that was seen in this study (as well as the improved tolerance among statin-intolerant patients) is caused by these not-quite-lovastatin compounds.
It is difficult to know exactly what to do with this intriguing new information. Certainly it would seem that RYR might be worth a try at least in statin-intolerant individuals. But because of the variability in RYR formulations (variability that may actually be larger than it typically is for unregulated "natural supplements," because in this case the FDA has insisted that manufacturers "alter" the naturally occurring RYR to remove lovastatin) it is impossible to know what you're really getting, or how stable the formulations are from bottle to bottle.
Sources:
Becker DJ, Gordon RY, Halbert SC, et al. Red yeast rice for dyslipidemia in statin-intolerant patients. Ann Internal Med 2009; 150:830-839.
I’ve used red yeast rice for years because of horrible adverse effects from prescription statins. My cardiologist has an international chloesterol reputation and has put me on non-prescription yeast. My numbers, previously in the high 200’s , low 300’s,are normal.
I too had been given statin drugs and had bad side effects. Even changed drugs and still had the same side effects. Had NO side effects with Red Yeast Rice.
The FDA should be pilloried for refusing to allow patients to try/use RYR, especially when they suffer the bad side effects of prescription-type statins. FDA appears to be deliberately trying to undermine the efficacy of RYR. Is that because it wants Big Pharma to sell even more statins with all their side effects? In other countries RYR is allowed to be used, with patients benefitting from it positively. Why not in the USA?
I cannot take the statins – they crippled me. Dr put me on Zetia but my Medicare D medicine plan has dropped it from their list. I am told by drs that it isn’t very effective anyway. Maybe this is the way to go and I will give it a few months try.
I love the song to make fun of this; Staten sheets to lie on, Staten pillows to cry on. I heard that taking Ubiquinol is good for reversing the negative effects of Staten pills, but I don’t have unusual cholesterol and yet the ratio is not doing so good, which I hope I am getting back down to the right ratio which I am taking the Omega 3 6 9 for making it better.
Something worked! I am on red yeast rice and a bunch of other supplements also. In 2 months my colesterol went from 220 to 203! I am guessing its the red yeast rice that did it!
sir,in pakistan we are used to take rice boiled as they are white in color, so confirm me that these rice contains statin or not??
There is no way for me to tell even whether RRY in America has the active ingredient in it.
The FDA is evil for doing this. See my posts here
http://forums.christianity.com/m_3777330/mpage_2/tm.htm
“FDA appears to be deliberately trying to undermine the efficacy of RYR. Is that because it wants Big Pharma to sell even more statins with all their side effects? In other countries RYR is allowed to be used, with patients benefitting from it positively. Why not in the USA?”
I can answer that. Because in the U.S. we value corporate interests over the interests of the general public.
“FDA appears to be deliberately trying to undermine the efficacy of RYR”
Why do you think the FDA limits the ingredients in Aloe Vera, they ban certain variants of Ephedra, and they limit the ingredients in St. John’s Wort. They do all sorts of things to make natural medicine less effective than it really is in order to convince you it doesn’t work and to make you pay big pharmaceutical corporations lots of money on bad medication. It’s not only RYR that they have undermined the efficacy of, it’s many many many other things just as well. Be aware of it and resist.
Oh, and vote for Ron Paul, he’s always pro health freedom when it comes to things like this.
My cholesterol is ok but I need something to lower my triglicerides. They are way over the limit!!!!
I have a close friend who also died due to interaction of ryr and his coumadin. Coumadin INR levels went sky high and he has not been the same since after 3 hospitalizations in 2 months. Just a reminder to all of us that the FDA sometimes has good reasons for doing what they do.
My cholesterol was in the 220 range until I took red yeast rice (1200 mg daily). It dropped to the 170 range in six months and stayed there for about three years using RYR. However,my level just went up to the 220 range after his past year when I had essentially the same diet, exercise, and RYR as before. I suspect that the braand I am using (which is a very well-know and reputable brand) had something removed. How do I find out the truth about it?