p|HealthyWomen's Senior Editor/p|p|Jacquelyne Froeber is an award-winning journalist and editor. She’ holds a BA in journalism from Michigan State University.
Jacquelyne Froeber is an award-winning journalist and editor. She’ holds a BA in journalism from Michigan State University. She is the former editor-in-chief of Celebrated Living magazine and has editing and writing experience for print and online publications, including Health magazine, Coastal Living magazine and AARP.
org.game. It certainly sounds cool as an acronym . But did you know red yeast rice is produced from a mold — not a yeast? We’re guessing “red mold rice” just doesn’t have the same ring to it., you may have heard of red yeast rice as a possible alternative to prescription cholesterol-lowering medication. The ruby-red food and dietary supplement has also been thought to have anti-cancer properties.Here's what you need to know about the potential benefits and the red flags to consider before taking red yeast rice.Red yeast rice has been around for centuries and is known as a “natural statin” in traditional Chinese medicine. It’s produced by fermenting rice with a type of mold calledDepending on the strain and the conditions of fermentation, the fungus enhances the rice with compounds called monacolins, which can lower cholesterol levels in the body. One of those monacolins — monacolin K — has the same makeup as the medicine lovastatin, a prescriptionhave shown that taking red yeast rice on a daily basis for six to eight weeks can lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels.found that red yeast rice extracts stopped breast cancer cells from growing. But more research needs to be done regarding any anti-cancer benefits to taking the supplement.Lower cholesterol levels are directly linked to the amount of monacolin K in red yeast rice supplements. Research shows taking up to 10 mg of monacolin K on a daily basis is associated with lower cholesterol levels.This is where things get a little complicated. The FDA approved lovastatin — which is basically monacolin K — as a drug before it was marketed as a supplement. So, any product that lists lovastatin or enough monacolin K to work like a statin, is illegal to sell in the U.S. as a dietary supplement. Over the years, the FDA has issued warnings against companies who market added or enhanced supplements with lovastatin and monacolin K. As a result, the red yeast rice products you see online and in the grocery store typically won’t list the amount of monacolin K on the product label. The product may not contain any monacolin K — although most will have some level of the cholesterol-lowering ingredient — but you won’t know for sure the actual amount.Red yeast rice products may contain citrinin, which can cause kidney damage.Red yeast rice may not be an option for everyone. You shouldn’t take it if you’re on cholesterol-lowering medications like a statin because it can increase the risk of serious side effects. Also, people taking certain substrate drugs , including some antibiotics and antifungals, shouldn’t take red yeast rice as it can affect how the body metabolizes medication. If you are taking any medication and you don’t know if it’s a substrate drug, be sure to ask your healthcare provider. Is there anything specific women and people assigned female at birth should know about red yeast rice? Red yeast rice isn’t recommended for people who are pregnant or lactating because there are no clinical studies — good or bad — that show the effect of taking the supplement while pregnant.Overall, red yeast rice is considered safe and has few side effects. However, because the amount of monacolin K usually isn’t listed on supplement labels, you never know what you’re going to get. For example, one brand online says their red yeast rice supplement has “appropriate levels of naturally occurring monacolin compounds, especially monacolin K.” If you’re thinking about red yeast rice for cholesterol, the supplement may not contain enough monacolin K to make a difference or have any benefits. High cholesterol can lead to serious health problems such asJust like with any supplement, it’s a good idea to talk to your healthcare provider before you give red yeast rice the green light.
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