Are you looking for a natural way to lower your cholesterol level? Are you aiming for a levellower that what proper diet and exercise has yielded? Do you want to stay away from hard coreprescription medications? If you answered yes to these questions, red yeast rice may be thesolution to your cholesterol problem. Red yeast rice is a naturally occurring substance used forhundreds of years in Oriental medicine. Currently the substance has become popular againbecause of its ability to lower cholesterol.
Medical historians know the Chinese have used red yeast rice both as a food and a medicinesince about 400 A.D. The substance has been useful as a food preservative and food colorant, aswell as a spice. In fact, it is red yeast rice that gives Peking duck its red color. You can make redyeast rice by fermenting cooked whole kernel rice with red yeast. Practitioners of Orientalmedicine have used the substance widely as a way to improve blood circulation, sootheindigestion and relieve diarrhea.
One use of red yeast rice that was perhaps unknown to the Chinese was the rice's ability to lowercholesterol. The substance is so successful at lowering cholesterol because during the fermentingprocess a naturally occurring form of lovastatin, a prescription cholesterol medication, isproduced. Bear in mind, however, the dose of lovastatin in a serving of red yeast rice is lowerthat than contained in the average lovastatin prescription. Because red yeast rice does include thischolesterol lowering medicine, it will help to bring your cholesterol levels down.
There is one problem with red yeast rice. The drug company Merck owns the patent onlovastatin. It is this company that both makes and sells Mevacor, the name brand form oflovastatin. Since lovastatin is a patented prescription drug and there are rules discouraging sellingprescription drugs without a prescription, it is difficult to buy red yeast rice inside the UnitedStates. In fact, many of the forms of red yeast rice that you can buy have been fermented using adifferent process that does not produce lovastatin. Therefore, these altered forms of red yeast ricehave no cholesterol lowering powers. The best option to buy real red yeast rice is to check theInternet. Be sure the ingredients include lovastatin or Monacolin K, an alternate name forlovastatin.
Also, if you decide to try red yeast rice, it is best to consult with your doctor first. Even thoughthe substance is naturally occurring, it may interact with some of the prescription medicationsyou are already taking. Your doctor will also know if red yeast rice will affect any healthcondition you have. Also, be sure to buy your red yeast rice from a reputable dealer who will notsell you out-of-date or contaminated products.
If you want lower cholesterol, you might check into red yeast rice. It can lower your cholesterolnaturally with its small dose of lovastatin. Be sure to talk to your doctor before you add thissupplement to your diet to be certain it is a good alternative for you.
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Source: www.articlesbase.com
