Red Yeast Rice Extract

Claims, Benefits: A “natural” way to lower cholesterol, without the side effects of statin drugs.

Bottom Line: This is a statin drug. If you take it, you need medical supervision and periodic blood tests.

Full article, Wellness Letter, June 2005:

Q: My doctor suggested that I take red yeast rice extract, rather than a statin drug, to lower my cholesterol. What do you think of it?

A: This dietary supplement actually contains a statin—lovastatin, the same ingredient found in one of the statin drugs (Mevacor). Used for centuries in China for heart and other problems, it is made by fermenting red yeast on rice.

Cholestin used to be the best-known brand of red yeast rice extract in the U.S., but the FDA considered it a drug (like lovastatin) and thus tried to block its sale. The manufacturer finally removed red yeast from Cholestin in the U.S. Other red yeast products are still available here.

Since these extracts are sold as supplements, you have no way of knowing what’s really in the bottles. They contain other substances besides lovastatin, so the effect is less predictable than for statin drugs, as are the side effects. The long-term safety of some of the ingredients is unknown.

We’ve heard of people who refuse to take a statin, but are perfectly willing to take red yeast rice extract, since it comes from the health-food store. But it really is a drug. The only advantage is that it is much cheaper than statin drugs. Except for the cost, if you need a statin, you’re better off taking one of the prescription drugs.

By the way: Lovastatin is available as a generic, so it is cheaper than other statins. Merck, its manufacturer, wanted to make it available over the counter, but an FDA advisory panel ruled against this in January because it said that the drug needs medical supervision and periodic blood tests. The same is true of red yeast rice extracts.

UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, June 2005