Red yeast rice

Ditzydori · ‎03-10-2010

In spite of diet and exercise my cholesterol has failed to come down. Total is 219. Not terrible, but should be under 200, but it won't budge.

before I start on statins (yuk), my doctor agreed for me to try red yeast rice with co q10.

My question is can anyone recommend a good, natural, effective brand? There are so many out there. Has anyone tried RYR with success or any negative results. I suppose if it's between prescription statins and RYR, RYR is the lesser evil of the 2. I read that RYR contains ingredients like statins, but I still rather start with RYR than prescription statins, especially since my Cholestrol is not outrageously high.

Any thoughts and suggestions on a brand name? Thanks so much for your help.

kahootz · ‎03-11-2010

I'm kind of in the same boat. Although I eat really well and exercise (30-40 minutes of walking) daily - my cholesterol total was 224. LDL was 125 and HDL was 85. My cardiologist also wants me to start taking a statin which I don't want to do unless I absolutely have to. I'm trying the Andrew Lessman CholestaCare vitamins. They get really good reviews, but I don't know if it's going to lower my levels enough. I just started taking them about 3 weeks ago, so can't attest if they work but will have me blood tested in a few months to see.

violann · ‎03-10-2010

I take RYR and coQ10 DAILY, and along with a strongly veggie/low carb fruit eating plan, my lipids are in the normal range for my age. Dh was taking a statin and having difficult to manage leg pains. Our MD put him on the combo I take, and he too is successful.

We eat VERY low sugar, low or no grain, low or no dairy foods, veggies, fruits, nuts, eggs/egg whites.

I will check and post the brand I use when I go downstairs. I buy it at Costco and it's relatively inexpensive.

I use WEIDER Red Yeast Rice PLUS. Inexpensive and seems to work fne.

Meowingkitty · ‎06-19-2010

I have been taking RedRice Yeast for about a year now and it's lowered my cholesterol 50 points. I get mine at Costco.

Laura14 · ‎06-09-2014

I just did this for the past year and I lowered my cholesterol 40 points. I use two brands off of Amazon because they have coq10 in with the RYR so just one pill (actually two a day). The brands I have used are Jarrow Formulas and NOW. They are both usually under $20 a bottle and include both RYR and CoQ10 so depending on which one is lower priced at the time, that's the one I go with. I can highly recommend both of them. They have worked for me.

Ditzydori · ‎03-10-2010

Thanks so much. I don't have Cosco near me, but I did look on Amazon and I saw the NOW Brand. I'm going to look at the Jarrow brand.

Any adverse side affects?

Laura14 · ‎06-09-2014

@Ditzydori wrote:
Thanks so much. I don't have Cosco near me, but I did look on Amazon and I saw the NOW Brand. I'm going to look at the Jarrow brand.

Any adverse side affects?

None that I found and I do get them with some supplements because I am pretty tiny at only 5'2". I take the recommended two tablets a day in the morning with breakfast and my fish and flaxseed oil pills and I've noticed no ill effects.

Grace55 · ‎02-27-2011

I have taken Red Yeast rice for several years and it has been very effective at keeping my cholesterol total near 200. After reading about different brands I chose Now brand which was recommended by Dr. Andrew Weil. I order it from Amazon for a reasonable cost. Good luck with RYR. No side effects and a better alternative than statins for me.

Shelbelle · ‎03-09-2010

For the last 11 years I have been taking supplements from Puritans Pride to keep my numbers below 200. I dont want to take a statin or RYR for the same reason, RYR is a form of a statin. I take CholestWise with lunch and Phytosterol Complex Double Strength with dinner, totalling 3 grams of plant sterols daily. You may want to think about this regimen if you are against taking statins. You can always check with your doctor, my doctor approves of it.