In June of this year on ABC World News with Charles Gibson the herbal supplement Red Yeast Rice was a featured segment. In the segment Charles Gibson talked about the uses and benefits of the product in controlling high cholesterol. This is when I realized just how big this product had become. It was in 2004 when customers started coming to the pharmacy counter asking for this product. It was not an item readily stocked in store and after getting numerous requests for it I decided to special order the product. Needless to say, that I could not keep enough in stock. So what is Red Yeast Rice?

Red yeast is a Chinese herb produced from rice that is fermented with Monascus purpureus yeast. The supplement being sold today is the result of culturing the Monascus purpureus yeast over the rice at a carefully controlled temperature and growing conditions so as to increase the concentrations of chemicals that lower blood cholesterol and triglycerides. The end product is a collage of chemicals with varies health benefits as wells as some impurities and toxins. The truth about Red Yeast Rice is that the main chemical produced is in fact the same chemical found in prescription cholesterol lowering medications known as “statins.” Big name statins include Lipitor, Mevacor (Lovastatin), and Pravachol (Pravastatin) just to name a few. Red yeast rice supplements are most identical to the drug Lovastatin. So of course this so called “herbal supplement” has been effective in lowering total cholesterol and triglycerides. It is in fact a prescription drug. I have come across hundreds of patients that have quit their prescription medication in lieu of taking Red Yeast Rice. It works and it is significantly cheaper than any prescription “statin” on the market today.

The biggest safety concern is that hundreds of people have been and continue to take this product along with cholesterol lowering medication and other prescription medications that could result in drug interactions without knowing it. The adverse affects of “statin” drugs include but are not limited to severe muscle pain, muscle damage, kidney impairment and liver damage. So concomitant use of red yeast rice supplements with a “statin” or any prescription drug with similar side effects will increase the risk of kidney, liver and muscle damage. Red yeast rice should be treated as a statin drug with all the possible drug interactions, and side effects associated with this class of drugs. Last August the Food and Drug Administration issued a caution against using red yeast rice until detailed results from long term studies became available. In addition, the FDA deemed red yeast rice to be an unapproved drug because it contains a prescription only statin as the active ingredient. Consequently, the FDA issued warning letters advising certain manufacturers to stop selling and promoting the product. In response, several products on the market were reformulated and probably will have little to no affect on lowering cholesterol. It has been nearly a year since the warning and the majority of products on the market still contain the active chemical considered to be Lovastatin. The sell and popularity of the product obviously has not slowed down in the least. In fact some physicians are recommending it for their patients, and reputable news programs such as Good Morning America and ABC World News have featured the product.

If you have found a brand that works for you then stick with it because different brands contain different amounts of the active chemical. Keep in mind that “herbal supplements” are not required to contain what they say they contain in the amounts on the label. Stick with a nationally known brand and shop at a reputable location such as a GNC or Vitamin Shoppe. Contact your health care provider to inform him or her of the fact that you are taking red yeast rice. This is important for monitoring side effects and drug interactions as well as how well your total cholesterol is being controlled. Keep up with your product of choice in case it is reformulated somewhere down the road should the FDA decide to take on this product as being a public safety issue. There is nothing the drug maker Merck would love more than to have their product Mevacor sold over the counter in stead of red yeast rice. As of December 2007, the FDA advisory panel rejected the proposal to allow Merck’s drug Mevacor (Lovastatin) to be sold over the counter. But rest a sure that Merck will not stop there as long as sells of Mevacor continue to slide. We will have to wait and see what Merck comes up with next.

DID YOU KNOW?…Red yeast rice is used as food coloring for pecking duck?

Last year, I discovered a great new product called Aloecure. My mother-in-law who believes in everything homeopathic had recommended aloe to me on several occasions to use on burns and cuts. And for some time I grew my own Aloe in a pot at home for just that. I never imagined that I would use Aloe orally for any condition or reason. But as you know we should never say never. For the past 2 to 3 years I have been experiencing abdominal cramping, pain, acid reflux and constipation. I have had several X-rays, CAT scans and a Colonoscopy. All of which did not yield any definite diagnosis. My Gastroenterologist started me on a Probiotic, medication for pain and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I got no relief from the medications and to be quite honest I stopped taking them. While at work one day I went to assist a customer with a medication for diarrhea when I noticed this bright orange box labeled Aloecure. The packing truly caught my attention so after reading the package labeling, and at roughly $6 a bottle it was definitely worth a try.

Aloecure is made by a company called American Global Health Group located in Seattle, Washington. The patient leaflet states that the product is a natural and organic way to “soothe the digestive system, aid in balancing stomach acidity, and promote healthy digestion.” Now keep in mind that this is herbal supplement so the manufacturer can not make any claims to curing disease. The FDA does not regulate herbal supplements or require any kind of safety or efficacy testing before hitting the market. The only thing that the FDA requires is that every supplement clearly bares the warning that states “These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.”

Recently, the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) established a process by which manufacturers of herbal supplements can submit a product for testing. If the product meets the USP’s standard then the manufacturer can place the “USP verified mark” on it’s label. The mark means that the supplement contains what it says it does without containments and that the product was manufactured under good manufacturing practices. Now with all that said Aloe has earned credibility over years for having soothing, antiseptic, and regenerative qualities. Now a days you can find Aloe being used for burns, wound healing, and sunburns. It is in moisturizers, bath soaps, and shampoos.

The manufacturer recommends drinking 2 ounces twice a day. It is a clear almost tasteless liquid that tastes much better refrigerated. It is also available in a grape flavor for your choosing. I have been using 2 ounces once a day in the morning. The morning is when I experience the most gurgling and churning of my stomach and small bowels so I prefer it first thing before any food. I can go the entire day without indigestion or cramping. I have been constipation free since I started this product. I have to admit I was a bit skeptical when I started this product but I am very pleased with the results.

DID YOU KNOW?…that Aloe has and can be used for frostbites and cold sores?