Nutrients can cut cholesterol and risk for heart attack and death, has been tested in three new studies.
In a cholesterol study, researchers wanted to find an alternative to statin drugs because some people can't or won't take them. Doctors gave 74 participants with high cholesterol ZOCOR® or a combination of red yeast rice and omega-3 fish oil along with tips for restorative lifestyle changes. Participants took red yeast rice containing 5.3 mg of monacolin K—the active ingredient that inhibits cholesterol—2,106 mg of EPA, and 1,680 mg of DHA per day.
After 12 weeks, those in the red yeast rice group had 42 percentlower LDL, the "bad" cholesterol, compared to 40 percent lower for the ZOCOR® group. The red yeast rice group also had 29 percent lower triglycerides, the most common form of fat in the body,compared to nine percent lower for ZOCOR®, and five percent less body weight compared to a slight weight gain for the simvastatin group.
Doctors noted the study was a comprehensive, holistic approach to cutting blood fats and said, "These results… show a potential benefit of an alternative, naturopathic approach to a common medical condition." In a heart disease study, about 4,000 men and 900 women, average age 60, who had had a heart attack, took 600 mg of
red yeast rice extract per day, or a placebo. After seven weeks, those in the red yeast rice group had 20 percent lower LDL compared to four percent lower for placebo. After an average of 4.5 years, those in the red yeast rice group were 45 percent less likely to have had another heart attack or to have died from heart disease compared to placebo.
In a blood vessel study, 17 healthy men ate a high-fat meal with or without five grams of EPA. Researchers measured how stiff the blood vessels were after the meal and found that those in the EPA group had significantly more flexible arteries compared to placebo. Flexible arteries lower risk for heart disease.