Cholesterol Control through Red Yeast Rice
Up to 20% of the estimated 30 million people who take a statin drug (Crestor, Lipitor, Zocor, etc.) to control cholesterol have the side effect of muscle pain (myalgia).
Highlighted in the news most recently was a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. This study demonstrated that for some people, a combination of the supplement RED YEAST RICE in combination with lifestyle changes can work as well in controlling high cholesterol without the side effect of muscle pain that forces patients to stop taking a statin. The efficacy numbers did slide when the people in the study slacked on the lifestyle changes so it is not just the supplement lowering the cholesterol level.
We all know that in order to have good health it mostly comes with being responsible for eating well and exercising and that is the main difference between those who just want to take a pill verses those who want complete good health. Discipline is a good word.
Cholesterol
What is it and what is it good for? Where does it come from? Where does it go? How can it be bad?
Cholesterol is one of the body's fats (lipid). Cholesterol and another lipid, triglyceride, are important building blocks in the structure of cells and are also used in making hormones and producing energy. A person's cholesterol level is mainly dependent on how the body makes cholesterol in the liver and the balance between the basically 3 types of lipids (LDL, HDL, and triglycerides). Some of the excess dietary cholesterol is removed from the body through the liver but mostly cholesterol is recycled. Having too much cholesterol in the blood is not a disease in itself, but can lead to the hardening and narrowing of the arteries in the major vascular systems, thus restricting blood flow and causing a bunch of problems.
You can't feel whether you have high cholesterol levels in the same way that you can feel a toothache, but a high level combined with other risk factors can lead to atherosclerosis and symptoms of cardiovascular disease. Atherosclerosis is the build-up of cholesterol and fat (fatty deposits or plaques) in the artery walls. The arteries become narrow and hardened, their elasticity disappears and it becomes difficult for blood to flow through. These fatty plaques can rupture, causing blood to clot around the rupture. If blood can't flow to a part of the body, the deficient tissue dies.
The following are all symptoms of cardiovascular disease. They depend on the degree of narrowing, the likelihood that the plaque is going to rupture (vulnerability), and the organ supplied by the affected arteries. If the arteries that supply the lower limbs narrow, this can cause leg pain when walking or running. If a clot suddenly blocks the major peripheral vessel to the lower limb, it may starve the leg of blood to such an extent that it requires amputation.
In the brain, a blood clot may block an artery or a smaller blood vessel may rupture, causing local bleeding. Either will result in a stroke. In the heart, narrowed coronary arteries cause angina and ruptured plaque causes blood clots that can lead to a heart attack. This may lead to reduced heart function if a significant amount of heart muscle is damaged. If the carotid arteries in the neck become narrow, clots may form and float to the brain. This can result in a stroke or repeated 'mini-strokes' (transient ischaemic attacks or TIAs).
It's common for those most affected by atherosclerosis to have the disease in several arteries, including the aorta (the main artery in the chest and abdomen), the kidney arteries, and intestinal vessels.
LDL vs. HDL
In conjunction with triglycerides, LDL cholesterol can build up on the walls of your arteries and increase your chances of getting heart disease. That is why LDL cholesterol is referred to as "bad" cholesterol. The lower your LDL cholesterol number, the better it is for your health. A number less than 100 is optimal; above 160 is high. 190 and up is very high. Regarding HDL cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol, the higher the number, the better for your health. This is because HDL cholesterol protects against heart disease by removing 'bad' cholesterol from your blood and keeping it from building up in your arteries. You want more than 60. Less than 40 (for men) & 50 (for women) is not good and is considered a risk factor for heart disease. Tri to keep this in a narrow range.
Excess calories, alcohol or sugar in the body are converted into triglycerides and stored in fat cells throughout the body. A high triglyceride level has been linked to the occurrence of coronary artery disease. Keep this number low: 150 or less; 200 to 499 is high. And over 500? Well, need we say more?
Your total blood cholesterol is a measure of LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and other lipid components. Doctors recommend total cholesterol levels below 200. 240 plus is considered high. Non-pharmaceutical research however indicates that 225 is optimal.
Genetics, Diet, Lifestyle
Some people are predisposed to high cholesterol through genetics. The body, mainly the liver, produces varying amounts. Foods from animals contain it. Foods from plants don't contain cholesterol. However, you don't get cholesterol from the cholesterol found in the food you eat. That's a fairy tale that the pharmaceutical companies made up.
Regular physical activity increases HDL cholesterol and you don't need to be an exercise-induced endorphin addict to benefit as moderate exercise will suffice. A non-pharmaceutical approach to cholesterol control is through the introduction of RED YEAST RICE.
Red yeast rice is a substance made by fermenting a type of red yeast over rice. First documented use was in the Tang Dynasty in 800 AD, it has been used in Chinese medicine for hundreds of years. Also having culinary uses, it is a preservative, a spice, and a food coloring. It is used to give Peking duck its characteristic red color and can also be an ingredient in fish sauce, fish paste, and rice wine.
Derived from a fungus that grows on rice, it contains several compounds collectively known as monacolins that slow the production of LDL cholesterol in the liver but do not affect the HDL levels. One of those compounds, monacolin K, is a naturally occurring form of lovastatin, the active ingredient in Mevacor, a brand name statin. At the same time, the reduction in LDL that the supplements provide can't be attributed solely to the monacolin K. According to researchers, there must be other cholesterol-lowering ingredients in red yeast rice. Some of the other compounds found in red yeast rice may enhance the effects of the naturally occurring lovastatin.
A decade ago, the FDA successfully sought to regulate a red yeast rice extract known as Cholestin, claiming that the lovastatin it contained made it an unapproved statin rather than a supplement. An unexpectedly large dose of lovastatin could cause serious side effects and could interact with other drugs. Any red yeast product containing more than trace amounts of lovastatin can also be regulated (and effectively banned) by the FDA, but red yeast rice products containing monacolin K have remained on the market. Nature's Sunshine Red Yeast Rice is standardized to ensure that you get the right levels of statin ingredients.
Check with your health care provider regarding contraindicated drugs and/or pre-existing conditions that would be compromised with the addition of red yeast rice to the diet, i.e., liver or heart problems.
Yours in Good Health! Sincerely, Dr. Jack and Chris Ritchason