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Red yeast rice is a traditional Chinese culinary and medicinal product. In the United States, dietary supplements containing red yeast rice have been marketed to help lower blood levels of cholesterol and related lipids.
Red yeast rice products may contain substantial amounts of a substance that is chemically identical to the active ingredient in a prescription statin drug used to lower cholesterol levels. Thus, these products may have the same side effects and drug interactions as the statin. Also, some red yeast rice products contain a contaminant called citrinin, which may be harmful to the kidneys.
If you’ve been considering taking red yeast rice to help control your cholesterol levels, we urge you to talk with your health care provider. And if you’re currently taking a prescription statin drug, don’t take red yeast rice in addition to it.
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