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Warning
Users
of Red Yeast Rice Extract
(
Brand names “Cholestin, Cholester-Reg, KAL Cholesterol Defense”
etc.)
Many
people have begun using a substance known as Red Yeast Rice
Extract to lower their cholesterol in the false belief that it
offers them a safer alternative to prescription medications.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Most people who use this substance are unaware that it contains
the same active ingredient found in common cholesterol
medications such as Mevacor. Because of this it has the same
potential for side effects that these drugs have. Acknowledging
this fact the FDA has launched a campaign to remove these
products from the market as unlicensed drugs.
Manufacturers of these medications have been falsely marketing
them as “herbal or nutritional supplements” despite the fact
that the FDA has not approved such labeling.
Cholesterol medications such as Mevacor, Zocor, and Lipitor
known as “statin” drugs interfere with an enzyme in our bodies
that produces cholesterol. These drugs are safe and highly
effective when taken under proper supervision with periodic
blood work. They have been associated with certain side effects
such as muscle inflammation and liver enzyme elevation in a
small proportion of individuals. Substances like Red Yeast Rice
Extract products which contain these statin drugs are likely to
cause the same potential side effects and are not safer .
In addition, because this industry is not well regulated the
quality of these substances is not consistent. Some products
have been found to be contaminated with toxic metals and other
drugs.
If your cholesterol is high and you need medication discuss
this with your doctor. If you need a statin drug it is much
safer to use a prescription medication than to take one of the
Red Yeast Rice Extract products since you have no way of knowing
what’s really in the bottles. They may contain other substances
besides a ‘statin’, so the effect is less predictable than for
prescription statin drugs, as are the side effects. The
long-term safety of some of the ingredients is unknown.
References:
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