Worried About Dangerous Statin Drugs? Try Red Yeast Rice Instead

Worried about dangerous statin drugs? Red yeast rice may lower cholesterol.

Two years ago, Chuck Jones of Yardley had high cholesterol, but his medicine caused severe leg cramps that routinely ruined his sleep.

Since participating in a clinical trial of red yeast rice, a supplement taken in China for centuries, Jones has gotten his cholesterol under control.

And within a week of starting the rice, "the pain was gone," the 59-year-old chemist said.

For Jones and most other "statin-intolerant" patients, red yeast rice combined with a heart-healthy diet and exercise helped lower bad "LDL" cholesterol, concludes a small study published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Read more