DEAR DR. GOTT: Does red yeast rice actually help to lower cholesterol and what can the adverse side effects be?
DEAR READER: Let me take a moment to explain to readers just what the product is before I attempt to answer your question. Red yeast rice is actually rice fermented with Monascus purpureus. It contains several compounds that together are known as monacolins, known to inhibit the formation of cholesterol and which may lower cholesterol levels. Red yeast has a similar chemical make-up to that of lovastatin (Mevacor) and certain other statin drugs and therefore may carry similar side effects.
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