Red Yeast Rice, 90 caps
 Do
you know your cholesterol level? It' best for
your cholesterol to be below 200 milligrams per
deciliter, but a third of all Americans have
cholesterol levels in the 200 to 240 range and
about one fifth are in the dangerously high over
240 range.
If your cholesterol levels are high, your
doctor will often prescribe statin drugs like
Lipitor® and Zocor®. These medications inhibit
cholesterol production but are often associated
with risks to the liver and muscles. Red Yeast
Rice offers effective, cholesterol-lowering
actions without harmful side effects.
Red Yeast Rice is derived by fermenting
Monascus purpureus (a type of yeast) over red
rice. It contains a number of substances known
as monacolins that are similar to prescription
medications that lower cholesterol. Red Yeast
Rice also contains a mix of sterols (sitosterol,
campesterol, and stigmasterol), isoflavones and
unsaturated fatty acids, which are thought to
contribute to the cholesterol and lipid-lowering
effects of the monacolins.
Monacolin K (also known as lovastatin) is one
of the active ingredients in Red Yeast Rice.
Lovastatin is synthesized and marketed by the
pharmaceutical giant, Merck, as Mevacor® for
reducing elevated cholesterol and triglyceride
levels.
Red Yeast Rice inhibits the production of
cholesterol by stopping the action of HMG-CoA
reductase, a key enzyme in the liver that is
responsible for manufacturing cholesterol. The
difference between prescriptive lovastatin and
monacolin K is the amount per volume of the
active. Red Yeast Rice contains only a small
amount of monacolin K, about 0.2% per 5 mg when
compared to the 20–40 mg of lovastatin available
as a prescription drug.
This has led researchers to suggest that the
effectiveness of Red Yeast Rice may be due not
just to the action on monacolin K, but to the
combined action of all the monacolins and the
other constituents (sterols and fatty acids)
that work together to reduce cholesterol
synthesis, absorption, and excretion.
Taking Red Yeast Rice may help reduce and
maintain healthy cholesterol levels and promote
blood circulation, thereby lowering the risk of
heart disease.
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