FDA warns Consumers to avoid Red Yeast Rice Extract...

The FDA released a warning earlier this month about Red Yeast Rice Extract Supplements.  This is what they said:

"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to buy or eat three red yeast rice products promoted and sold on Web sites. The products may contain an unauthorized drug that could be harmful to health. The products are promoted as dietary supplements for treating high cholesterol.

The potentially harmful products are: Red Yeast Rice and Red Yeast Rice/Policosonal Complex, sold by Swanson Healthcare Products, Inc. and manufactured by Nature’s Value Inc. and Kabco Inc., respectively; and Cholestrix, sold by Sunburst Biorganics. FDA testing revealed the products contain lovastatin, the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Mevacor, a prescription drug approved for marketing in the United States as a treatment for high cholesterol.

“This risk is even more serious because consumers may not know the side effects associated with lovastatin and the fact that it can adversely interact with other medications," said Steven Galson, M.D., M.P.H., director of FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research."

Comment: from Warren

I don't think that this FDA news release should definitely be interpreted that these companies have been adulterating these products with the a statin drug.  They may not have. Red Yeast Rice Extract mimics a statin in its action even though it is natural.  This is the reason why we have never used it in our Cholesterol Formulas.  The potential risk for adverse side effects are to great.  Besides our Cholest-Natural formula works for most people so there is no need.

To read the balance of the FDA notice please click here.