Red Yeast Rice: Lower Cholesterol with Low Risk

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Red Yeast Rice: Lower Cholesterol with Low Risk

By Jenny Thompson

 

Drug company executives would rather you never know anything about these three words: red yeast rice.

For more than 1,000 years, red

yeast rice (a yeast product grown on rice) has been used in Chinese

medicine to improve blood circulation and aid digestion.

But when modern drug companies

developed drugs to lower cholesterol, they didn't want to compete with

this inexpensive botanical product. So red yeast rice was demonized.

It was even banned for a while

because it contained exactly the same active chemical used in

lovastatin, one of the commercial statin drugs. (Of course, RYR

contained it first!)

A couple of years ago, the FDA issued a news release, warning consumers about two RYR formulas that werRed yeast rice does what statins cannot: lower cholesterol with low riske

found to contain lovastatin. Why the warning? "These red yeast rice

products are a threat to health because the possibility exists that

lovastatin can cause severe muscle problems leading to kidney

impairment."

See how cleverly they worded that?

The "red yeast rice products are a threat to health." But only because

they contained a statin!

 

Here's another helping of irony:

New research shows that patients who experience severe muscle problems

caused by statin drugs can use red yeast rice instead. They'll still

lower cholesterol, but they won't damage their muscles or kidneys.

Gee! Someone should have thought of using this stuff, like, a thousand years ago!

Enter Vega

HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., recently sent me a Medscape write up about the new RYR study.

Medscape is a very mainstream

resource for medical professionals. And I admit, I just rolled my eyes

when I started the article. The opening paragraphs read like an

advertisement for statins. For instance: "The significant benefits of

statins are hard to refute."

Ah yes. Same old same old.

But after getting the required homage to statins out of the way, surprises are in store.

For instance: The author notes the

prevalence of muscle pain and weakness caused by statins. But then he

actually offers evidence that this problem may be more widespread than

generally believed.

Didn't see that coming!

Then, on to red yeast rice, and the

author actually states that "there is good research to support its

efficacy." What!? Who is this blasphemer and how did he get in the

cathedral? (He's Charles P. Vega, M.D. – a California family physician.)

Dr. Vega reviews the new clinical

trial that shows how RYR significantly lowered LDL cholesterol in a

group of patients who had previously suffered muscle problems while

taking statins. And yet, no muscle pains were reported with RYR.

But he's just getting warmed up.

Next he has the audacity to mention research that suggests RYR may be

"as or more effective than a statin." Then he cites a study of 5,000

subjects, all with a history of heart attack. What did RYR do for them?

It reduced risk of non-fatal heart attack by more than 60 percent and

death due to heart disease by more than 30 percent.

Nailed it, Dr. Vega!

Talk to your doctor before using

RYR to lower cholesterol. Or better yet, direct him to Dr. Vega's

article on Medscape. But a word of caution: Do some serious research or

consult an herbalist before choosing an RYR product. You want to be

absolutely sure you're getting a good product...one that's good enough

that Big Pharma wants it banned.

http://www.healthiertalk.com/red-yeast-rice-lower-cholesterol-low-risk-1133