It’s nice to see a current research study that validates what you’ve been suggesting for years. Red yeast rice was compared head to head with a well-known statin called Zocor to help reduce total cholesterol and LDL (the bad guy). Red Yeast rice stood up to the challenge and reduced LDL by 42% compared to 39% from Zocor.

Red Yeast Rice is the product of yeast grown on rice that has compounds similar to lovastatin which prevents the production of cholesterol in the liver. I have found that it does not burden the liver as much as pharmaceuticals and rarely do I need to check liver enzymes which is necessary when taking prescription lipid lowering drugs.
Side effects with Red Yeast Rice are rare when using 1200mg twice daily. Myopathy or muscle pain can be seen with prescriptions.

I also recommend taking CoQ10, an important antioxidant that gets depleted with any cholesterol lowering product (supplement or prescription). Usually 100mg daily is adequate.

Good fish oils is a staple supplement that I recommend for all my patients, young and old. To help prevent heart disease and to lower triglycerides, I use 3-6 grams daily. Find a good source that is free of heavy metals and screens their products.
Some people find they may need a prescription, so red yeast rice is not for everyone. It’s a great place to start before developing heart disease and at an early age (starting at age 40 if you need it).
Don’t forget about a healthy diet and exercise. It’s hard to reduce cholesterol numbers without participating in the basics.

Read more about the study…

Supplements of fish oil and red yeast rice, coupled with lifestyle changes in diet and exercise habits, can reduce cholesterol as much as standard cholesterol-lowering medications known as statins, according to a new study….

Read the rest of this post from WebMD Health

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