Red Yeast Rice Update

Red yeast rice products may vary in potency.
The Chicago Tribune (10/25, Deardorff) "Julie's Health Club" blog reported that "some red yeast rice products have been shown to lower cholesterol levels as effectively as moderate doses of statin drugs." However, "the supplement isn't quite 'ready for primetime,' according to researchers who found that 12 over-the-counter red yeast products had strikingly inconsistent amounts of active ingredients." The research, "published in the current issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, also showed that four of the 12 products (one third of the sample) contained citrinin, a contaminant that is toxic to kidneys of animals." WebMD (10/25, Warner) and MedPage Today (10/25, Walsh) also covered the story.