Also Available in 60 Count

Red Yeast Rice is a unique natural product that's been used in Asian traditional medical systems since approximately 800 A.D. It is produced by the fermentation of red yeast (Monascus purpureus) with white rice. The LifeSource Vitamins Red Yeast Rice is carefully produced to avoid the presence of citrinin, a sometimes toxic byproduct of the fermentation process. This product is further enhanced with the addition of CoQ10 to support healthy cardiovascular and immune system function, Milk Thistle Extract to support healthy liver function, and Alpha Lipoic Acid to provide antioxidant support.*


Are you taking a cholesterol prescription? Crestor or Lipitor? Read on....

Of all the natural supplements available to help lower cholesterol, Red Yeast Rice extracts are by far the most effective. Red Yeast Rice ( Monascus purpureus) is a source of naturally occurring statins, the same class of prescription drugs used to lower and control cholesterol. Because Red Yeast Rice extract delivers a mix of those compounds rather than a single type of molecule, it is much less likely to cause the side effects that sometimes occur with the pharmaceutical versions.

If you need to lower your cholesterol, you'll have to continue taking Red Yeast Rice extract indefinitely. You'll also need to have your cholesterol and triglyceride levels monitored periodically by your physician and, if necessary, adjust your dosage. The same would be true if you were taking statins - in order to lower your cholesterol and maintain it at healthier levels, you must continue taking the supplement or drug that works for you indefinitely. You should also know that these drugs inhibit the body's natural synthesis of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), which is needed for optimum heart health general health, so whether you take red yeast rice extract or statins, be sure to take 60 - 200 mg of CoQ10 every day.

In addition to taking Red Yeast Rice extract, we also recommend the following measures to help keep cholesterol under control:

• Be sure to get at least 30 minutes a day of aerobic exercise.
• Keep your saturated fat intake low: no more than five percent of your daily caloric intake.
• Increase omega-3 fatty acids, especially from fish.
• Minimize consumption of quick-digesting (high glycemic load) carbohydrates.
• Increase consumption of soluble fiber, such as oat bran.
• Eat garlic, hot red pepper (chili), and shiitake mushrooms frequently.
• Drink green tea regularly.

Red Yeast Rice

Red Yeast Rice is rice that is cultivated with yeast grown on it. It is a common food in many Asian countries. It's known to inhibit the synthesis of cholesterol in the human body, which can lead to lowered cholesterol levels. This has led to use as a natural anti-cholesterol supplement.*

One of the cholesterol synthesis inhibiting chemicals in Red Yeast Rice, monacolin K, is used in an anti-cholesterol drug manufactured by Merck & Co., known as Mevacor (also known as lovastatin and mevinolin).*

CoQ10

CoQ10, also known as coenzyme Q10 or ubiquinone, is a substance produced in the body necessary for the basic functioning of cells. It speeds up the rate at which chemical reactions take in the body. It is used by the cells for cell growth and maintenance, as well as repair from free-radical oxidative damage. CoQ10 also plays an important role in protecting the brain cells from oxidative stress.*

Red Yeast Rice's Effect on Cholesterol

Red Yeast Rice inhibits cholesterol synthesis in the human body, thus having an effect on the overall level of LDL and overall cholesterol.*

CoQ10's Effect on Cholesterol

CoQ10 acts on cholesterol differently than Red Yeast Rice. Some evidence seems to indicate that it may not be LDL that causes atherosclerosis, but rather the oxidation of that LDL. Enter CoQ10. Because CoQ10 has an anti-oxidative effect on all of the body tissue, it also has an anti-oxidative effect on LDL. While it doesn't lower the amount of LDL, it keeps it from oxidizing and becoming artery-clogging plaque.*


See All LifeSource Vitamins Red Yeast Rice Products, Articles, and Studies: Click Here

See All LifeSource Vitamins Cholesterol Fighting Products, Articles & Studies: Click Here

Cholesterol-Reducing Drugs and the Brain

Recent research seems to indicate that cholesterol-reducing drugs, especially statins, may lessen brain function. The reason behind this is that cholesterol is essential to brain function.

According to Yeon-Kyun Shin, a biophysics professor at Iowa State University, "If you deprive cholesterol of the brain, then you directly affect the machinery that triggers the release of neurotransmitters." Those neurotransmitters directly affect memory and data processing in the brain. Since red yeast rice extract contains the same chemical as certain statins, it may have the same effect as statin medication. It can also affect the body's ability to synthesize ubiquinone - or CoQ10.

This is why CoQ10 supplementation is necessary with any cholesterol-lowering medication - whether a statin or red yeast rice extract. There is also mounting evidence that CoQ10 can protect the body from cognitive difficulties arising from cholesterol medications. Many patients who take statins are also prescribed a daily dose of CoQ10 for just this reason, and natural health practitioners who recommend red yeast rice extract recommend it be taken alongside CoQ10 supplementation.

Side Effects, Cautions, and Caveats

Red yeast rice extract is a powerful anti-cholesterol medication. There is some debate as to whether it should even be available without a prescription. Check with your doctor or personal health care provider before self-prescribing red yeast rice.

60mg minimum of CoQ10 is recommended daily for statin users.

The following side effects have occurred from taking red yeast rice:

• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Bloating
• Indigestion
• Gas
• Muscle and joint pain
• Liver inflammation
• Decreased CoQ10 metabolism

Please check with your doctor before starting or changing your prescription drug and/or supplement regimen.

Red Yeast Rice reduces cholesterol levels because it contains, among many other chemicals, one of the statin drugs. (The statin drugs, the most effective cholesterol-lowering agents used in medicine today, were originally derived from yeast products.) Red Yeast Rice just happens to contain one of the most popular statin drugs on the market today – lovastatin.

In fact, when Red Yeast Rice was found to contain lovastatin, the FDA moved to make Red Yeast Rice (often sold as Cholestin in earlier times) a regulable drug, and thus remove it from the unregulated shelves of the health food store.

But in the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-417), Congress saw fit to remove all “dietary supplements” from under the auspices of the FDA. Manufacturers of dietary supplements since that time have been free to make whatever claims they choose to make about their multitude of products, apparently without needing scientific support.

Treatment

The following studies suggest that Red Yeast Rice significantly reduces high cholesterol:

Recently, the UCLA School of Medicine conducted a study involving 83 people with high cholesterol levels. Those who received Red Yeast Rice over a 12-week period experienced a significant reduction in total cholesterol, LDL ("bad") cholesterol, and triglycerides (fatty substances that can also accumulate in the bloodstream and cause damage to blood vessels) compared to those who received a placebo. HDL ("good") cholesterol did not change in either group during the study.

Two studies involving Red Yeast Rice were presented at the American Heart Association's 39th Annual conference in 1999. The first study, involving 187 people with mild to moderate elevations in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol revealed that treatment with red yeast rice reduced total cholesterol by more than 16%, LDL cholesterol by 21%, and triglycerides by 24%. HDL cholesterol also increased by 14%. In the second study, elderly participants who were given red yeast rice experienced significant reductions in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol compared to those who received a placebo. Both studies treated the participants with the supplement or placebo for 8 weeks.

In another 8-week trial involving 446 people with high cholesterol levels, those who received Red Yeast Rice experienced a significant drop in cholesterol levels compared to those who received a placebo. Total cholesterol fell by 22.7%, LDL by 31%, and triglycerides by 34% in the Red Yeast Rice group. HDL cholesterol increased by 20% in the red yeast rice group as well.

Red Yeast Rice is made by fermenting rice with a strain of red yeast called Monascus purpureus. The extract is a source of a number of compounds known as statins - the compounds largely held responsible for reducing cholesterol levels. It appears to accomplish this by blocking a key enzyme in the liver. As such, Red Yeast Rice gained recognition in the United States as a cholesterol-lowering agent. However, in 2001 red yeast rice extract, a "natural" unregulated nutritional supplement was withdrawn by the FDA when it was determined that red yeast rice supplements were too similar in chemical structure to the strictly regulated prescription statin known as Mevacor.

Red Yeast Rice benefit - animal studies

Researchers have studied the tong-term effects of red yeast rice extract on serum lipids and the severity of atherosclerosis in rabbits. In the study, the researchers fed the rabbit with the extract together with 0.25% cholesterol for 200 days. They found 25% and 40% reductions in total cholesterol with respect to doses of 0.4 and 1.35 g/kg/day of the red yeast rice. They also observed a reduction of serum LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and atherosclerotic index. [7]


Red Yeast Rice benefit - clinical studies

There are a few clinical studies about the beneficial effect of Red Yeast Rice on cholesterol levels. Most of the subjects are either patients who suffered from hyperlipidemia or coronary artery disease. All studies reviewed show the efficacy of Red Yeast Rice on cholesterol-lowering. To simplify this report, I summarized the results of the "most recent studies".

A recent clinical study has demonstrated that ingestion of a red yeast rice extract (Xuezhikang) led to rapid reduction of C-reactive protein levels within 24 h and lipid profile within 2 weeks. In the study, they randomly assigned 48 consecutive patients with stable angina to 1200 or 2400 mg/day of a red yeast rice extract (Xuezhikang). They found that the red yeast rice extract Xuezhikang reduced total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, median plasma C-reactive protein levels, and in mean plasma C-reactive protein levels significantly. At the higher dose of the red yeast rice extract Xuezhikang (2400 mg/day) resulted in significantly greater reductions in total cholesterol TC and low-density lipoprotein LDL cholesterol compared with 1200 mg/day group (p<0.05, p<0.01, respectively.

While they observed a less reduction in triglycerides (TG) levels and no significant difference in mean high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels compared with baseline. [5]

In another study of patients with coronary heart disease at a dose of 1200 mg/d for 6 weeks, researchers also observed the reduction of lipid levels and improvement of inflammation after the administration of the red yeast rice extracts. [8]

Hyperlipidemia is a well-known risk factor for atherosclerosis and statins are widely used to treat patients with elevated levels of lipids in their plasma. Notwithstanding the proven benefits of statin drugs on both primary and secondary prevention of heart disease, the high cost of statin treatment, in addition to possible side effects such as liver function abnormalities, may limit their widespread use. We conducted a study on a natural product as an alternative to statin treatment. Cholestin, a dietary supplement, is prepared from rice fermented with red yeast (Monascus purpureus), which has been shown to significantly decrease total cholesterol levels in hyperlipidemic subjects. Our objective was to determine the cellular effect of Cholestin on cholesterol synthesis in human hepatic cells (HepG2) and the mechanism by which it caused a change in lipid metabolism.

A red yeast extract was found to have a direct inhibitory effect on HMG-CoA reductase activity (78-69% of control). In the study, researchers found this red yeast extract (25-100 microg/mL) were significantly reduced cholesterol levels in human hepatic cells HepG2in a dose-dependent manner (81-45% of control, respectively). They found an association of this reduction with the decreased synthesis and secretion of both un-esterified cholesterol (54-31 and 33-14% of control, respectively) and cholesterol ester (18-6 and 37-19% of control, respectively). Thus, one of the anti-hyperlipidemic actions of the Red Yeast Rice in the study as a consequence of an inhibitory effect on cholesterol biosynthesis in hepatic cells. [9]

A recent study of 62 people who stopped taking statins because of side effects reported a significant cholesterol-lowering effect of a commercially available nonprescription red yeast rice product. The average drop in cholesterol was 43 points at 12 weeks. The participants took three 600-milligram vials of red yeast rice twice a day. Each vial had only one milligram of lovastatin, so they took about 6 mg a day. The participants also followed a lifestyle change program, including education on nutrition, exercise, and relaxation techniques. [AA1]

LifeSource Vitamins - Organic Red Yeast Rice with CoQ10 120 VCaps, extracts are by far the most effective natural supplements available to help lower cholesterol naturally and safely, enhanced with the addition of CoQ10 to support healthy cardiovascular.

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*Disclaimer: None of the above statements have been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. As always, consult your physician before taking any and all supplements. LifeSource Vitamins. Individual results may vary.

Disclaimer: All the information contained throughout this website is based upon the opinions of the founder of LifeSource Vitamins, Bruce Brightman, and the entire team at LifeSource Vitamins whose relentless research and studies have been ongoing since 1992. Other articles and information are based on the opinions of the authors, who retain the copyright as marked in the article. The information on this site is not intended to replace your health care professional, but to enhance your relationship with them. Doing your own studying and research and taking your health care into your own hands is always best, especially in partnership with your health care professional.

If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or have any medical conditions, always consult your health care professional before taking supplements based on the information on this site.

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Reference [1] Herbs for serum cholesterol reduction: a systematic view. J Fam Pract. 2003 Jun;52(6):468-78. [2] Patrick L and Uzick M Cardiovascular disease: C-reactive protein and the inflammatory disease paradigm: HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, alpha-tocopherol, red yeast rice, and olive oil polyphenols. A review of the literature. Altern Med Rev. 2001 Jun;6, (3):248-71. [3] Herbs and atherosclerosis. Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2001 Jan;3(1):93-6. [4] Yang HT et al, Acute administration of red yeast rice (Monascus purpureus) depletes tissue coenzyme Q(10) levels in ICR mice. Br J Nutr. 2005 Jan;93(1):131-5. [5] Li JJ et al, Effects of xuezhikang, an extract of cholestin, on lipid profile and C-reactive protein: a short-term time course study in patients with stable angina. Clin Chim Acta. 2005 Feb;352(1-2):217-24. [6] Smith DJ and Olive KE Chinese red rice-induced myopathy. South Med J. 2003 Dec;96(12):1265-7. [7] Wei W et al, Hypolipidemic and anti-atherogenic effects of long-term Cholestin (Monascus purpureus-fermented rice, red yeast rice) in cholesterol fed rabbits. J Nutr Biochem. 2003 Jun;14(6):314-8. [8] Zhao SP et al, Xuezhikang, an extract of cholestin, protects endothelial function through antiinflammatory and lipid-lowering mechanisms in patients with coronary heart disease. Circulation. 2004 Aug 24;110(8):915-20. Epub 2004 Aug 16. [9] Man RY et al, Cholestin inhibits cholesterol synthesis and secretion in hepatic cells (HepG2). Mol Cell Biochem. 2002 Apr;233(1-2):153-8. [AA1] A Substitute for Those Who Can't Take Statins? HealthDay Mon Jun 15, 2009 [AA2] Fish Oil, Red Yeast Rice Cut Cholesterol WebMed July 23, 2008 [AA3] Grieco A, Miele L, Pompili M, Biolato M, Vecchio FM, Grattagliano I, Gasbarrini G.Acute hepatitis caused by a natural lipid-lowering product: when "alternative" medicine is no "alternative" at all J Hepatol. 2009 Jun;50(6):1273-7. Epub 2009 Mar 31 [AA4] Prasad GV, Wong T, Meliton G, Bhaloo S. Rhabdomyolysis due to red yeast rice (Monascus purpureus) in a renal transplant recipient.Transplantation. 2002 Oct 27;74(8):1200-1