Problems found with red yeast rice supplements

Tests of 11 brands of red yeast rice supplements have found that some samples contained amounts of cholesterol-lowering compounds that varied by more than 10-fold, and some were contaminated with a potential toxin, according to a report released this week by ConsumerLab.com, an independent group that conducts product evaluations.

Red yeast rice is a rice extract fermented with a strain of red yeast. It has been touted to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol almost as effectively as certain cholesterol-lowering statin drugs because it can contain a naturally occurring substance that's essentially identical to the prescription statin drug lovastatin (Altoprev, Mevacor, and generic).

The red yeast rice supplements that were tested didn't list how much lovastatin and related substances they contained, according to ConsumerLab.com's website. Some of the supplements contained significant amounts, others had hardly any, and one product contained none. Moreover, four contained citrinin, a potential toxin, ConsumerLab.com reported.

We've recommended against using red yeast rice, noting that it poses the same risks as statins, which can be considerable, especially if you're not being monitored by a doctor. It can also interact with prescription drugs, including statins such as atorvastatin (Lipitor). Taken together, they pose a greater risk of side effects, including muscle, kidney, and liver problems.

To find out whether pharmacists know enough to warn consumers against that combination, we recently sent anonymous shoppers to 20 drugstores around the U.S. to ask pharmacists or their assistants about the safety of taking Lipitor along with red yeast rice. But in 12 instances, the pharmacy gave the wrong advice.

Bottom line. If your cholesterol blood levels require drug treatment, you're better off with the carefully regulated, and safer, prescription medications. And you should be monitored by a physician.

Read more of our coverage of heart supplements.

Source
Red Yeast Rice Supplements Review [ConsumerLab.com]

—Doug Podolsky