The Statin Alternative Part 2: Holistic Advice on Statin Medications and Red Yeast Rice

by San Mateo County Library

Article by Dr. Kristina Lewis, ND

Holistic Health-A Whole Person Approach

As a naturopathic physician, I recognize that lowering cholesterol is an important piece to an overall healthy lifestyle, but by itself, this is often not enough. People are much more complex than simply a number on a lab test. Many times people that are prescribed medication to treat high cholesterol or blood pressure have a heart attack or stroke anyway. The human body is more complex than a simple number, and that is why statin medications, red yeast rice or any other natural cholesterol-lowering therapy should never be used as isolated, stand-alone therapies. There are many other issues that can put someone at risk from heart disease than simply elevated cholesterol.

The Natural Healing Power of Red Yeast Rice

Red yeast rice can lower cholesterol because it contains a compound called monacolin K. This inhibits the production of cholesterol in the liver. This natural compound is also found in prescription medications like lovastatin but seems to work better in the monacolin K form. It is suspected that additional natural compounds found in red yeast rice enhance the effects of monacolin K.

Treat Holistic Remedies and Naturopathic Medicine with Respect

Even though red yeast rice tends to cause less side effects than statin medications, I suggest patients treat it with caution. Always consult your medical doctor or a naturopathic physician before taking a supplement like red yeast rice. Holistic remedies or natural supplements like red yeast rice should not be combined with medications unless an experienced physician has been consulted. Both the supplement and medication work by stopping HMG CoA reductase, a liver enzyme. This stops the production of cholesterol. Stopping this enzyme, however, also stops the body's natural production of CoQ10, a potent anti-oxidant and substance critical for energy production in the body.

It is believed the blockage of! CoQ10 c auses side effects like muscle pain, and I've observed clinically that supplementing with CoQ10 can alleviate some side effects. Because of this risk, it's recommended that people taking either red yeast rice or a statin supplement with a minimum of 100 mg of CoQ10 daily. As a naturopathic doctor I consider this replacement of this vital nutrient as mandatory.

Avoid red yeast rice if you take a statin and don't overdose on red yeast rice, thinking that more is better. If you take too much, or take it in combination with a prescription statin, it can cause dangerously low levels of cholesterol. Although cholesterol gets a bad rap, it actually acts as the backbone of many hormones and natural processes and is important for overall health.

Know the Quality of Your Alternative Health Supplements

It is important to note that the FDA does not regulate the contents, quality and potency of supplements. Red yeast rice is no exception. In 2008, the watchdog group ConsumerLabs found toxic contaminants in 4 out of 10 brands of red yeast rice tested! Poor quality red yeast rice may contain citrinin, a toxin that has been shown to cause kidney damage.

Consumer Labs also found that the actual amount of monacolin K found in these ten supplements varied widely. This makes it challenging for consumers to know how much of the active ingredients they are consuming, which could be very dangerous. Each product promised 600 mg of red yeast rice per pill, yet one brand contained less than 0.1 mg of actual monacolin K per pill, while another contained 10.6 mg per pill, a hundred-fold difference between two apparently identical products! (3)

Holistic Health and Article Sources:

1. http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=7846751

2. http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/06/16/cholesterol.red.yeast.rice/

3. https://www.consumerlab.com/reviews/Red_Yeast_Rice_Supplements-Lovastatin_Monacolin/Red_Yeast_Rice/ (NOTE: We have a s! ubscript ion to Consumer Lab to see this full report. Please contact us if you have specific questions about what is found in this report)

4: David J. Becker, MD; Ram Y. Gordon, MD; Steven C. Halbert, MD; Benjamin French, PhD; Patti B. Morris, RD; and Daniel J. Rader, MD. Red Yeast Rice for Dyslipidemia in Statin-Intolerant Patients. Annals of Internal Medicine.16 June 2009 | Volume 150 Issue 12 | Pages 830-839

5. Lu Z, Kou W, Du B, Wu Y, Zhao S, Brusco OA, Morgan JM, Capuzzi DM; Chinese Coronary Secondary Prevention Study Group, Li S. Fuwai Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing, Peoples Republic of China. Effect of Xuezhikang, an extract from red yeast Chinese rice, on coronary events in a Chinese population with previous myocardial infarction. Am J Cardiol. 2008 Jun 15;101(12):1689-93.

About the Author

Lewis Family Natural Health is a husband and wife team of naturopathic physicians in Asheville, North Carolina. Drs. Kristina and Eric Lewis specialize in holistic women's health, homeopathy, herbal medicine, nutritional counseling, all natural weight loss and healthy lifestyle coaching. For more information visit http://www.LewisNaturalHealth.com.