The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point

Archive for the 'Red Yeast Rice' Category

Marked variability in red yeast rice products

Wednesday, October 5th, 2011

Red yeast rice is an alternative therapy to treat high cholesterol levels. It contains monacolins that may inhibit HMG-CoA reductase — the enzyme inhibited by statins.

Researchers at Chestnut Hill Hospital, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, report marked variability of monacolin and citrinin content in 12 readily available red yeast rice products. (more…)

Benefit of red yeast rice in statin-intolerant patients

Monday, February 14th, 2011

People experiencing statin-associated myopathy include pain and muscle weakness. This muscle pain (myalgia) is estimated to affect 10% to 15% of patients taking statins.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia evaluated the tolerability of red yeast rice vs pravastatin (Pravachol) in patients unable to tolerate statins because of myalgia. (more…)

Should you trust supplements to lower cholesterol levels?

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

Researchers from Concord Hospital, in New Hampshire reviewed the evidence and graciously provide us with succinct conclusions.

Here’s what we know. (more…)

Review: Red yeast rice to treat high cholesterol levels

Saturday, July 24th, 2010

red_yeastRed yeast rice typically contains monacolins, including monacolin K — the naturally occurring statin known as lovastatin (Mevacor). (more…)

Ranking diet and exercise to manage high cholesterol

Saturday, May 15th, 2010

Dr. Robert Kelly (photo) is associate director and curriculum coordinator for the Fairview Hospital /Cleveland Clinic Family Medicine Residency Program.

He lists aspects of diet and exercise that are most and less effective in controlling cholesterol. (more…)

The red yeast rice alternative to statins

Friday, March 26th, 2010

Red yeast rice decreases LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.

Researchers from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania studied it’s potential as an alternative treatment option in patients who cannot tolerate statins. (more…)

Benefits of red yeast rice in statin-intolerant patients

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

red_yeastResearchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, in Philadelphia tell us it was an effective alternative for patients with high cholesterol levels. (more…)

CAM control of cholesterol

Sunday, May 17th, 2009

Researchers from the Universities of Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania compared a statin to an alternative treatment option that included lifestyle changes, red yeast rice, and fish oil.

A reader has reviewed the entire study and expands on the summary below.

(more…)

3 CAM options to replace statins???

Friday, November 7th, 2008

Is there a role for omega-3, red yeast rice, and garlic in preventing cardiovascular problems? (more…)

ConsumerLab rates red yeast rice supplements

Saturday, August 9th, 2008

Red yeast rice can lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.

However, ConsumerLab tests reveal that the levels of cholesterol-lowering statin compounds in red yeast rice products vary by more than 100-fold — with some products having hardly any. (more…)

Red yeast rice review

Tuesday, May 27th, 2008

 Dr. Désirée Lie from the University of California in Orange has reviewed the evidence.

Here are the highlights. (more…)

Is there a reliable way to prevent or treat alcohol hangover?

Monday, March 10th, 2008

Yes, but you might be disappointed.

(more…)

Consumer Alert: 3 red yeast products

Monday, August 13th, 2007

The FDA warns to avoid these “natural” treatments for high cholesterol. (more…)

LipidShield: The rest of the story

Saturday, May 26th, 2007

A news release promotes this product as a “natural cholesterol supplement [that is] effective without side effects.”

And on the LipidShield website there is an unpublished study in 30 men and women to prove it. (more…)

Taking red yeast rice to lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol

Thursday, October 5th, 2006

Any time there is a change in the availability of a statin drug to treat high lipid blood levels, discussions of potential options to these prescription drugs abound.

As Zocor (simvastatin) goes off patent, here is my contribution to the discussion: red yeast rice.

(more…)

ConsumerLab.com tests cholesterol-lowering supplements

Tuesday, August 8th, 2006

Three of 16 products failed the content analysis test. One product did not release its ingredients and two others had less than half the expected ingredients.

That’s less than a 20% failure rate, which is better than often reported by this lab.

An article in Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals reports that the following supplements were tested: sterols, policosanol, guggulsterones, fish oil, garlic, niacin, soy protein, red yeast rice, and stanols. I highlighted the supplements discussed at this blog.

(more…)