| What are red yeast rice undesirable effects? Is it a safe natural alternative to help support balanced levels of cholesterol? These are valid questions especially in view of the debate created around red yeast rice the last a long time as several popular brands of red yeast rice (RYR) supplements were attracted from the market by the Food and drug administration. |  |
RYR (Red Yeast Rice) was used for over a 1000 years in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as a promoter of blood stream circulation and a digestive stimulant.
Recent research launched in the “Annals of Internal Medicine” concludes that red yeast rice has significant cholesterol-lowering effects.
Based on previous research, 80 people who were not able to to continue treatment with prescription cholesterol lowering drugs due to adverse undesirable effects, needed RYR supplements and made change in lifestyle for six several days. After three several days, the LDL (so-known as “bad” cholesterol) levels of people taking the active supplements had declined 27%, in comparison to 6% in the placebo group.
Red Yeast Rice (RYR) Undesirable Effects – Is It Safe?
In 2007, several brands of popular Red Yeast Rice (RYR) supplements were attracted from the market by the Food and drug administration. The official reason given was safety concerns because of the use of standardized extracts which Food and drug administration tests found contained high levels of lovastatin, the ingredient in Mevacor, a prescription drug approved for marketing in the U. s. States as a treatment for high-cholesterol.
However basic safety factors were the official reason for yanking the RYR (Red Yeast Rice) products, there is legal dispute as to whether Red Yeast Rice (RYR)is a drug or a dietary supplement, including the supplement producers, the Food and drug administration and the pharmaceutical industry, particularly producers of so-known as “statin drugs.”
Apparently, the safety concern is based on the known risks and undesirable effects of prescription cholesterol lowering statin drugs which depend on lovastatin as the primary ingredient. The safety concern was for only certain red yeast rice supplements that consists of high levels of the standardized extract lovastatin. This is why producers of holistic herbal remedies stay away from or approve of the standardization process.
The standardization process involves the isolation and concentration of a single component. This is done with harsh chemicals, traces of which can’t be fully removed from the final product. It’s a common procedure in typical herbalism that isolate and focus improves the capability of just one component although growing the risk of undesirable effects.
Another recent example of the dangers of using this manufacturing process includes the development of liver toxicity from using Kava Kava standardized extract, an plant that’s been safely used for 100s of years.
Red yeast rice in its natural condition consists of 14 monacolin compounds such as monacolin K, a natural lovastatin. From a holistic point-of-view other monacolins, along with its naturally acquired essential essential fatty acids, anti-oxidants and other diet, interact to enhance its cholesterol-balancing and other health enhancing benefits without creating negative undesirable effects.
The mainstream medical community is slow to accept red yeast rice as another to statin drugs, despite the proven fact that there is no solid evidence that RYR is unsafe. The quality of nutritional supplements on the market does vary and it’s the responsibility of the supplement user to locate high quality products manufactured by businesses that follow made the decision good manufacturing practices.
If you have concerns about RYR (red yeast rice) undesirable effects, look for supplements produced without the use of standardized extracts. Take a short amount of time to read labels and research products. If you have questions or concerns, talk to your health care provider prior to starting any supplementation program.
