Red Yeast Rice

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    Last Updated: January 4, 2024

    Red yeast rice (RYR) is a fermented rice used traditionally in East Asia as a medicine and food. Supplementation with RYR seems to reduce cholesterol levels and may improve overall cardiovascular health. The main active compound in RYR is monacolin K, which is identical to the cholesterol-lowering medication lovastatin.

    Overview

    Dosage information

    In clinical trials, the most common dosage of RYR is 600 mg twice daily. This dose has demonstrated effectiveness for reducing LDL cholesterol, improving atherosclerosis, and lowering the risk of major adverse cardiac events.[3][4][5] Importantly, most clinical trials have used a traditional Chinese medicine standardized extract, Xuezhikang. At a dose of 600 mg twice daily, Xuexhikang would provide about 10 mg daily of the active compound monacolin K, which is suggested to be the adequate amount for reducing LDL cholesterol.[6][7] Ultimately, most supplements don’t disclose the amount of monacolin K they contain, which makes it challenging to ensure adequate doses are achieved.

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