Trying to distinguish which is the most famous of all the cholesterol lowering herbs is a judgment call and would likely be influenced greatly by geography and age. It is a close race between garlic, cayenne pepper, and red yeast rice. But of the three the one that has generated the most buzz as a natural cholesterol lowering herb in recent years is red yeast rice.
Red yeast rice has been a mainstay in Chinese herbal medicine for a very long time. About 1200 years to be more specific. It is a Chinese natural remedy that was originally used for digestion and general wellness and was most often consumed as part of a meal.
In more recent times it was found to lower cholesterol quite effectively by exhibiting statin like qualities. RYR contains the natural statin compound, Monascus purpurea which has been shown to maintain cholesterol within normal ranges when added to the diet.
There is very little discussion as to whether or not the natural cholesterol lowering herb red yeast rice works the only discussion is as to whether the current form works as well as past versions due to regulations placed on it by the Food and Drug Association.
Let's look at two recent studies to try to gain a better understanding of the natural cholesterol lowering herb red yeast rice.
*In 2009, a study from Pennsylvania showed that in 60 patients who had to stop taking statin drugs because of muscle pain, taking RYR and initiating lifestyle changes for 24 weeks significantly reduced total and LDL cholesterol levels, compared to taking a placebo and making the same lifestyle changes.
*And in 2010, investigators from the University of Pennsylvania reported that in patients who had to stop taking statins due to muscle pain, RYR was just as effective as 20 mg per day of the statin drug pravastatin (Pravachol) in reducing cholesterol levels. (Both RYR and pravachol produced only a very low incidence of recurrent muscle pain.)
Red yeast rice is formed when a particular strain of rice is fermented in yeast for a number of months and I think you would agree that the evidence supports its efficacy as a cholesterol reduction supplement. Nevertheless, there is some question as to whether red yeast rice in its current form is the natural cholesterol lowering herb it once was or just a shell of its former self.
Why? Way back in 2000 the Food and Drug Association (FDA) went on a rampage against RYR claiming that its properties were so similar to the statin medication lovastatin that it should be regulated as a drug. A court agreed and (at least in the US) manufacturing guidelines were put into place to remove the statin like ingredients. Oddly enough, even after this was done RYR still showed success in both significantly increasing HDL (good cholesterol) and a decrease in LDL (bad cholesterol). Elevated triglycerides were also found to be lowered.
It is still widely available both as a standalone natural cholesterol herb and in various natural remedies that include other popular herbal ingredients such as rooibos and guggulipid.
If you would like to learn more about cholesterol, natural cholesterol lowering herbs, or natural remedies for lowering cholesterol lowered-cholesterol.com click here.
Rob D. Hawkins is an enthusiastic advocate for the use of safe and effective high quality alternative health products and natural living, with over 10 years experience in the field. Learn more about natural remedies and natural health at purchaseremedies.com Purchase Remedies.com.
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