Supplements 101
Michael Dworkin, P.D., M.S.
Red Yeast Rice Extract:
A Natural Way To Balance Cholesterol
& Reduce The Risk Of Heart Disease
Chinese red yeast rice has significant potential to reduce including measured LDL, triglycerides, apoprotein B, and LDL
healthcare costs and contribute to public health by reducing particle number (obtained by request from a physician through
heart disease risk in individuals with moderate elevations of the NMR LipoProfile test). It is equally important to examine
circulating cholesterol levels. indexes of hidden inflammation, including C-reactive protein
~ Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (CRP) and lipoprotein(a).
I
s your cholesterol moderately elevated? Are you currently
The Conventional Approach: Statin Drugs
taking prescription drugs to manage your cholesterol that
cause various difficult side effects? Are you looking for an
When faced with elevated LDL in a patient, conventional
affordable approach to cholesterol management? If so, red
physicians frequently prescribe the class of drugs known as
yeast rice extract (RYRE) may be right for you.*
statins (HMG CoA reductase inhibitors). These drugs, includ-
ing Zocor®, Pravachol®, and Lipitor®, block cellular produc-
Cholesterol & Heart Disease
tion of cholesterol. Jay S. Cohen, M.D., a leading statin drug
expert, emphasizes the correlation between dose and risk of
A number of factors contribute to heart disease, including
side effects and cautions that most people with elevated cho-
inflammation, fats, diet/lifestyle, genetic makeup, and vitamin
lesterol do not need high doses. (Physicians typically prescribe
D deficiency. Current conventional medical practice largely
20-40mg to reduce LDL by 30-40%.) Statin drugs’ common
focuses on cholesterol, which is essential to normal body
side effects include fatigue, muscle pain and degeneration,
function but also can be life-threatening. The body requires
joint pain, memory impairment, depression, gastrointestinal
cholesterol to build cell membranes, produce hormones (in-
discomfort, kidney injury and failure, liver injury, and in-
cluding estrogen, testosterone and cortisol), and create liver
creased risk of heart failure. Some studies also suggest that
bile, which helps detoxify the system. When combined with
statins could be carcinogenic.
fat, platelets and inflammatory cells, however, excess choles-
terol causes atherosclerosis, the development of plaques in
A Natural Approach: Red Yeast Rice Extract
the arteries. These plaques can enlarge and block arteries to
the heart, brain, kidneys or limbs, or can rupture and cause
Red yeast rice extract is produced by fermenting rice with
artery-blocking clots.
a reddish yeast and has been used in traditional medicine in
The National Cholesterol Education Panel Adult Treatment
China since 800 A.D. It contains not only approximately ten
Panel-III (ATP-III) spells out these somewhat limited guidelines
different effective compounds, particularly lovastatin (the sta-
for target cholesterol levels:
tin in Mevacor®), that are similar to those in prescription sta-

tins, but also various cholesterol-lowering compounds (such
LDL (“Bad” Cholesterol)
as plant sterols) not found in statin drugs. More than 34 clini-
Optimal: <100 mg/dl - High: 160-189 mg/dl
cal studies in the United States and China have shown RYRE
Very High: >190 mg/dl
to be a viable alternative to statin drugs in many patients. Not

only may RYRE reduce LDL and lower triglycerides, but clini-
HDL (“Good” Cholesterol)
cal practice results have also evidenced its potential to raise
High: 60 mg/dl - Low: <40 mg/dl
HDL. As all RYRE products are not equal, however, it is im-

portant to use a product (such as Cholestene from HPF, LLC )
Total Cholesterol
that has adequate levels of lovastatin. The usual RYRE dose of
Desirable: <200 mg/dl - High: >240 mg/dl
1,200 mg twice-daily with meals contains about 5-15 mg of
lovastatin and can lower LDL by 23%, triglycerides by 15%,
The ATP-III adjusts target LDL (a frequently inaccurate,
and total cholesterol by 19%.
calculated number, not a measured one) to take into account
While most patients using RYRE do not experience the
certain risk factors, including cigarette smoking, hypertension
typical side effects of statins, it is important to note that it,
(BP>140/90 mmHg), personal history of heart disease, fam-
like statin drugs, blocks the body’s synthesis of coenzyme Q10
ily history of premature coronary heart disease, age (men>45
(CoQ10), essential to energy production and concentrated in
years; women >55 years), and diabetes. The problem with this
the heart muscle. Julian M. Whitaker, M.D., a renowned alter-
approach is that it does not provide a complete or accurate
native practitioner, recommends that all patients taking statin
picture and there are better available measures of cholesterol,
drugs take 100-200mg/day of supplemental CoQ10. While
20 NaturalNutmeg www.naturalnutmeg.com
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