A 57 year old female was prescribed to take two different drugs in succession to lower her cholesterol, but she had unsatisfactory results with both. When she explored other options, she found that by taking red rice yeast, lower cholesterol was achievable. She took 600mg twice a day, and it dropped her LDL cholesterol count by 70 points. That's a dramatic improvement. This is not an isolated success story. Many people have been helped by this natural food and supplement. Let's take a look at what it is and does.
Red yeast rice is rice on which yeast grows. Other names for it are Zhi Tai, hong qu, red rice, Monascus, and Cholestin. It has been shown effective to reduce triglycerides and LDL cholesterol. Since there are no regulations for it in herbal supplemental form, there's a chance you could be ingesting toxic metals or even other drugs. So, if you take it in supplemental form, be sure you're buying from a reliable source to minimize the possibility of contamination with these unwanted toxins.
In it's food form, many people eat red yeast rice to lower cholesterol. It's much safer to use, although concentrations of the active ingredients are considerably lower. Still, if you have asthma, kidney or liver disease, are pregnant, or have any serious medical condition including recovery from surgery or organ transplant, you should proceed with caution, and consult your doctor or other healthcare professional for the best advice.
Another effective supplement is niacin, or vitamin B3. It too will lower LDL cholesterol, increase HDL cholesterol and reduce triglycerides in the blood. It is available as a supplement in slow-release capsules (Niaspan, Slo-Niacin). Dosing is roughly 1 to 6 grams daily, depending on your tolerance level. You should start out at a low dosage to give your body a chance to acclimate, then gradually increasing the dose over a few weeks.
Again, caution should be exercised if you use this supplement in higher doses in combination with certain drugs, like Mevacor (lovastatin) or Zocor (simvastatin). The interaction may cause liver or muscle damage. Niacin may also raise glucose in the blood of people with diabetes. So, meds for blood glucose may need to be adjusted accordingly.
It is always best to consume niacin as part or your diet. Food sources include meat, poultry, liver, fish, nuts, green vegetables, whole grains, and potatoes. If these foods alone do not provide a high enough of a "dose", then supplements are the way to go.
Another drug interaction to avoid is with Questran (cholestyramine), which prevents the absorption of niacin. If you're taking this bile acid sequestrant, separate the administration of the two substances by at least four hours.
Marc Preston has been a nutritional expert for over 25 years. He is dedicated to educating readers on the benefits of healthy nutrition and lifestyle. This article provides basic but important information about cholesterol and its effects. Please visit our website for more FREE information about cholesterol at secretsofcholesterol.com secretsofcholesterol.com
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