• Cardiovascular support
• Lowers cholesterol
• Milk thistle & alpha lipoic acid
• Vegetarian formula

Red Yeast Rice is a unique natural product that's been used in Asian traditional medical systems since approximately 800 A.D. It is produced by the fermentation of red yeast (Monascus purpureus) with white rice. The LifeSource Nutrition Red Yeast Rice is carefully produced to avoid the presence of citrinin, a sometimes toxic byproduct of the fermentation process. This product is further enhanced with the addition of CoQ10 to support healthy cardiovascular and immune system function, Milk Thistle Extract to support healthy liver function, and Alpha Lipoic Acid to provide antioxidant support.

Of all the natural supplements available to help lower cholesterol, red rice yeast extracts are by far the most effective. Red rice yeast (Monascus purpureus) is a source of naturally occurring statins, the same class of prescription drugs used to lower and control cholesterol. Because red rice yeast extract delivers a mix of those compounds rather than a single type of molecule, it is much less likely to cause the side effects that sometimes occur with the pharmaceutical versions.

If you need to lower your cholesterol, you'll have to continue taking red rice yeast extract indefinitely. You'll also need to have your cholesterol and triglyceride levels monitored periodically by your physician and, if necessary, adjust your dosage. The same would be true if you were taking statins - in order to lower your cholesterol and maintain it at healthier levels, you must continue taking the supplement or drug that works for you indefinitely. You should also know that these drugs inhibit the body's natural synthesis of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), which is needed for optimum heart health general health, so whether you take red rice yeast extract or statins, be sure to take 90 - 120 mg of CoQ10 every day.

In addition to taking red rice yeast extract, we also recommend the following measures to help keep cholesterol under control:

Red Yeast Rice

Red yeast rice is rice that is cultivated with yeast grown on it. It is a common food in many Asian countries. It's known to inhibit the synthesis of cholesterol in the human body, which can lead to lowered cholesterol levels. This has led to use as a natural anti-cholesterol supplement. 
One of the cholesterol synthesis inhibiting chemicals in red yeast rice, monacolin K, is used in an anti-cholesterol drug manufactured by Merck & Co., known as Mevacor (also known as lovastatin and mevinolin).

CoQ10

CoQ10, also known as coenzyme Q10 or ubiquinone, is a substance produced in the body necessary for the basic functioning of cells. It speeds up the rate at which chemical reactions take in the body. It is used by the cells for cell growth and maintenance, as well as repair from free-radical oxidative damage. CoQ10 also plays an important role in protecting the brain cells fom oxidative stress.

Red Yeast Rice's Effect on Cholesterol

The red yeast rice inhibits cholesterol synthesis in the human body, thus having an effect on the overall level of LDL and overall cholesterol.

CoQ10's Effect on Cholesterol

CoQ10 acts on cholesterol differently than the red yeast rice.  Some evidence seems to indicate that it may not be LDL that causes artherosclerosis, but rather the oxidation of that LDL. Enter CoQ10. Because CoQ10 has an anti-oxidative effect on all of the body tissue, it also has an an anti-oxidative effect on LDL. While it doesn't lower the amount of LDL, it keeps it from oxidizing and becoming artery clogging plaque.

Cholesterol-Reducing Drugs and the Brain

Recent research seems to indicate that cholesterol reducing drugs, especially statins, may lessen brain function. The reason behind this is that cholesterol is essential to brain function.
According to Yeon-Kyun Shin, a biophysics professor at Iowa State University, "If you deprive cholesterol from the brain, then you directly affect the machinery that triggers the release of neurotransmitters."
Those neurotransmitters directly affect memory and data processing in the brain. Since red yeast rice extract contains the same chemical as certain statins, it may have the same affect as a statin medication. It can also affect the body's ability to synthesize ubiquinone - or CoQ10. 
This is why CoQ10 supplementation is necessary with any cholesterol lowering medication - whether a statin or red yeast rice extract. There is also mounting evidence that CoQ10 can protect the body from cognitive difficulties arising from cholesterol medications. Many patients who take statins are also prescribed a daily dose of CoQ10 for just this reason, and natural health practitioners who recommend red yeast rice extract recommend it be taken alongside CoQ10 supplementation.

Side Effects, Cautions and Caveats

Please check with your doctor before starting or changing your prescription drug and/or supplement regimen.