An Alternative to Lipitor, Crestor,
Vytorin?
New study sheds light on an
age-old remedy for cholesterol.
A new study revived the controversy of an old,
but popular alternative remedy for the reduction of
cholesterol: red yeast rice.
Used in Asia for over 1000 years, red yeast
rice has been proposed in America for some people who can not
tolerate the secondary effects of taking cholesterol-lowering
drugs, known as statins.
A new study of 62 people whom were given a
commercially available red yeast rice product was reported
recently in the Annals of Internal
Medicine journal and the results showed a significant
effect of the product to lower cholesterol.
Half the group took the 1800 mg of
the product twice daily in addition to
undergoing lifestyle changes, nutrition
and relaxation consultation while the other half took an inert
substance (having no effect) in addition to lifestyle changes
and consultation.
The group that took the red yeast rice averaged
a 43 point drop in cholesterol in 12 weeks as opposed to only
11 point drop in the placebo group.
Red yeast rice is under a regulatory cloud at
the FDA as it contains a natural statin, lovastatin which is
used in the drug Mevacor. The FDA has moved against some
of the red yeast rice products in the US as it claims they are
unlicensed pharmaceuticals. (Go figure). However,
researchers claim that the dosages taken in the study were not
of pharmaceutical level, which confounds them as to the results
seen.
Researchers believe that there are compounds
related to the lovastatin in red yeast rice that affect
cholesterol production in the liver.
However, they are quick to advise against not
taking the product without consulting one's physician first, as
the products available to the public are not regulated and
long-term effects of the product have been untested (to date)
in high-quality scientific trials. Therefore,
researchers don't see a greater benefit in taking red
yeast rice as opposed to taking prescription medicine for
lowering cholesterol.
Source: newsday, medline database.
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