Red Yeast Rice and Statins

Red yeast rice contains chemicals that are similar to statin medications. One of these, called monacolin K, has the same formula as the drug lovastatin.

Statins are prescribed  to lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels and help reduce the risk of heart disease
The recommended dose of red yeast rice is 1,200 mg taken orally twice daily with food. In studies, patients started to see a reduction in cholesterol levels at about 12 weeks

High lipid levels in the blood together with high blood pressure and diabetes are among the highest risks for coronary heart disease. In particular, elevated cholesterol levels promote the progression of atherosclerosis. Red yeast rice, also called red fermented rice or red mold rice, is used as a dietary supplement to lower cholesterol levels. It contains varying amounts of natural monacolin K, which is a structural homolog to lovastatin, and shows hypocholesterolemic properties comparable to synthetic statins.