Red yeast rice is very good for your health, and will greatly improve your condition. Red yeast rice benefits are plenty apart from used to lower the cholesterol levels.
In Asia they use another type of yeast, compared with the one found in most red yeast supplements. The Red yeast rice need a specific type of yeast and is done through rice fermentation. If all the conditions are carefully monitored and they use specific yeast in the process, then the resulted product will contain lovastatin in a high concentration. Basically, this medication will lower the cholesterol.
If a supplement doesn’t contain lovastatin then most likely it won’t lower the cholesterol. Lovastatin is a natural alternative to Statins, cholesterol medications that are very effective in lowering the cholesterol. Most people prefer the natural supplements though, because there are much safer and the body doesn’t have problems breaking the supplements into basic components. You should keep in mind that natural supplements are not that different from lovastatin, so basically if your doctor prescribes lovastatin then this medication is quite similar with any natural supplement because it is refined from the same natural products.
You should keep in mind that red yeast rice taken in excess can cause you the same problems as statins: liver or muscle problems.
The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) took some actions against some supplements manufacturers because they produced supplements with lovastatin without the approval of the FDA, and thus their supplements were cataloged “unapproved drugs”. Because of this factor more and more Red yeast rice supplements don’t have in their composition lovastatin, in order to meet the requirements imposed by the FDA. Thus, they won’t lower your cholesterol.
Red yeast rice also contains plant sterols, that will also lower your cholesterol, but the primary factor still remains the lovastatin.
