Red Yeast Rice Lowered My LDL Cholesterol By 35% | Empowering Midlife Wellness

[@angelrescue100]

I was put on Red Yeast Rice to lower my LDL small dense and triglycerides. I started having digestive problems. The first month I started feeling better but then started having digestive problems. I found out the statin in it is bad for your liver just like the statin Levostatin is bad for your liver. I have since switched to Citrus Bergamot and am seeing healing in multiple areas of my body.

[@anthonyb2334]

Thank you for your video. Very informative and helpful. Although my cholesterol is below guidelines requiring statins, my previous cardiologist recommended red yeast rice. I took it until he retired. My present cardiologist said it was a waste of money, and to stop. My total cholesterol went up 25 points. I’m going back to RYR. Thank you for a very helpful video

[@DebbieDooo]

My dad has been taking RYR for years for high cholesterol and it has absolutely lowered his and several other members of his side of the family’s numbers. A year ago my total cholesterol was just over 300! I have not taken my non-statin Rx, but somehow, my blood test last week showed my total cholesterol is down to 244. The ONLY thing I have done differently and consistently is eating a lot of turmeric cauliflower and white rice for dinner and a quinoa chicken power salad for lunch almost every day. I have done nothing else differently. Now I plan to try the non-statin to see how much lower I can get my total cholesterol. Hopefully closer to 199. I cannot take stains, period.

[@DebbieDooo]

@@neanea1173 my Dr prescribed Zetia

[@drsusan]

Remember RYR is a statin as I said ! But yes, it does work

[@DebbieDooo]

@@drsusan okay but can you tell me why red yeast rice being a statin does not affect our muscles and joints the way a prescribed statin does? Is red yeast rice a completely natural substance? I would much rather take something natural than something made in a lab that makes my entire body hurt.

[@Hibernia2324]

​@@DebbieDoooIt depends on the amount of monacolin K in the supplement, which is not standardized. Some have much more or much less than what is on the label. Some have none. Same side effects plus GI side effects can occur depending on the amount of statin. It's made in a lab, so not natural at all.

[@drsusan]

Agree with above . And RYR can cause those side effects ... and the vast majority of people on a Rx. Statin do not have those side effects :)

[@gaylesantone1885]

My dr demanded I stop RYR and put me on statins. I could barely walk and I always felt like I was going to fall. I watched the floor to try to prevent me falling. I stopped statins. I have ordered Thorne RYR, the one with CoQ10. I will be adding Qunol CoQ10.

[@sandrad518]

How about just lowering carbs, sugars from our diet and staying away from processed foods to balance cholesterol? That's all I did and went from borderline to perfect.

[@DaveOriginallyfromBrooklyn]

Dr I started thorne and with a good diet dropped cholesterol 35% as well. Used thorne. Btw you are a fantastic dr

[@DaveOriginallyfromBrooklyn]

I took Thorne. And my ldl dropped like a rock and my jdl rose. He was amazed

[@Blitz4Q]

So if I take RYR and lower my LDL, can I come off of it and just continue to live a healthy life without my levels shooting right back up? Don’t want to take it for years etc etc

[@MR-pr8tp]

I am unable to take prescribed statins due to muscle weakness. I have read that red yeast rice will cause the same effect since it is in the prescribed statins. My other concern is you have recommended explicitly Thorne products which has me asking if you have received any funding from them? I would love to get my cholesterol under control, but having said that I have switched to a mostly vegan diet, fish being my protein source. Once I changed my diet (due to celiac and pre diabetes) my cholesterol did drop a lot but still high. It is in fact the best it has ever been. No processed foods, no sugar, low carbs, mostly leafy greens and I did notice a significant positive change. Would like to continue and this red yeast rice does interest me.

[@matth9939]

Any other brands besides Thorne you could recommend?

[@DGonfire57]

Red yeast rice gave me horrible muscle aches. It is a statin! Took 2 weeks after quitting for the pain to go away

[@keltalon]

A very honest evaluation!

[@NKField-z1e]

How about citrus Bergamot compared RYR?

[@GrayTonic]

Thank you so much for this video. My new doctor highly recommended Thorne Red Yeast Rice + CoQ10 and I wanted to hear more info. This video was spot on. I appreciate your time and effort to do this video. I'm now a fan and subscriber.

[@joghog]

Thanks for giving the brand name of a reputable source, & the experiences you have noticed in your practice as well as yourself.

[@wataboutya9310]

Which evidence supports the use of statins to reduce heart attack or stroke. All those I know that have one or both have been on statins for years .

[@DaveOriginallyfromBrooklyn]

Is thorne still considered good since they have sold. Thanks

[@mesterferenc2688]

I started taking rosuvastatin (5 mg/day although the doctor prescribed 10 mg!), then after three days I had horrible leg cramps during the night. The worst pain in my life. Stopped it immediately, of course. Then I restarted Rosuvastatin 2*1 mg/week. - Leg cramps again. Then I took RYR (=lovastatin) for three weeks - until I had a bad leg pain. No, statins are not for me. I suppose statins always cause serious problems on the long run that people are not aware of. Therefore, it is better to get an immediate bad reaction, this way the damage is not irreversible.

[@MR-pr8tp]

I got diagnosed with pre diabetes, and celiac plus I have high cholesterol and cannot take statins. In fact do not want any meds if I can help it. Went to a mostly vegan diet, fish, beans, leafy greens, no processed foods, no sugar, low carbs, high fiber, no dairy, and my cholesterol has been the best it has ever been. (I am a senior citizen) Very difficult to balance my diet, meeting the recommended grams of fiber, protein, fat, carbs etc. but doable. (barely) Did a lot of tracking. Note too that celiac means no whole grains- bread, wheat in almost everything you buy. A real eye opener. Returned to the doctor,: no pre-diabetes, digestion the best ever, and lowered my cholesterol tremendously, though still high. But he was not concerned about the numbers/ ratio etc in that it was a great improvement overall in my blood tests. And dropped 22 lbs. Feel the best ever. Something to be said about our food supply, processed foods and the hype of entities.

[@Marcia-t2t]

Thank you so much for all of this information. You are a great Dr well spoken. I love your videos!!

[@nadiaari1999]

Hi DR so how much monocolin k in this Thorne , my ldl is 130 my total cholesterol is 205 so how much ryr should I take I just bought Thorne ryr 600 mg with coq10 in it. Please answer ❤

[@starrynight8007]

Are you crazy? Do not touch your cholesterol. It is the cholesterol theory. It is a myth just stop it.

[@starrynight8007]

Magnesium regulates cholesterol without stripping out your cholesterol, which is the second most important molecule. We would drop dead without it you will separate dementia, because the brain is all cholesterol.!

[@lindaadrid9795]

What about having a Calcium test score to see if your arteries are building blockages. If not, why worry about LDL?

[@triciaakins8082]

Just a note about the calcium CT scans...they are great but only measure hard/calcified plaque which generally doctors consider not great but at least itis stable and not likely to break off and cause a stroke or heart attack. The big issue is soft plaque which is more dangerous. It's not stable, inflammatory and cannot be seen on a traditional calcium heart scan. To see soft (and hard) plaque on a calcium heart scan you need to get the Cleerly heart scan. Google it. Cost is in the $2k range. But cheaper than managing a stroke😢.

[@jeremygissop8328]

Just be aware that Red yeast supplement mimicked the side effect of statins. I got muscle pain after taking the Red Yeast for a few weeks and it the pain disappeared shortly after I stopped taking them. Hope this helps.

[@LoriBurgman]

Same happened to me, sadly.

[@MR-pr8tp]

Yes I just posted this question. Since it is in the prescription statins, doubt taking it separately would have any other effect. I guess because there are no answers to this channel, KZbin, and the explicitly advised product Thorne, has me second guessing the promotion and funding of this video. Self serving perhaps. Think I will move on.

[@robinlages6673]

I too had the muscle pain but added coq10. It stopped after adding the coq10.

[@Cl4fr38dyb5e]

add coq10

[@DaveOriginallyfromBrooklyn]

The opinions of ryr is all over the map. But I love this doc and trust her

[@michaelpsions]

Great review, thankyou, from your advise i have been taking red yeast rice, A question if you were to stop taking red yeast rice, would there be side effects and if so what would they be? I have been taking it for about 10 months one cap a day .thank you again.

[@Barbara-ch3qf]

Thanks! This was very informative. I have high LPa and am trying to reduce my Apo B since I can’t do anything about the LPa. My Apo B is 66, so not bad, but for people with high LPa, Attia and others recommend trying to get Apo B as low as possible that’s why I’m considering the Red Yeast Rice. Is there any reason to prefer RYR to a low dose statin?

[@triciaakins8082]

You've done your research. Nice!🎉

[@mamabear5289]

I’m taking red yeast rice and I have decided to give up sugar meaning, I’m not baking with white sugar, brown sugar and foregoing refined highly process. I’m trying to eat much better doing more of a vegan/vegetarian type of diet pescatarian, and from time to time white meat, such as chicken or turkey, but it’s not all of the time and so I’m hoping that my LDL will go down, actually it has gone down since I’ve been on red yeast, rice and six months I’ll go for another check up and I’m hoping that it will go down even more and be at a level that’s safe

[@paulagardner8720]

I took Thorne's red yeast yeast for 3 months every evening before going to bed, worked perfect on lowering my Cholesterol but gave me bad insomnia, 😢

[@DaveOriginallyfromBrooklyn]

Easy fox is to take on am I had similar issues at night

[@Pipsterz]

13:20 Statin side effect including liver damage 5-10%.... Who the heck is NOT concerned with those numbers? Way too high risk. Statins have the highest mortality rate of any pharmaceutical drug, allegedly.

[@unbreakable_tv]

Thank you for the detailed information! One question I do have is, since this acts as a statin, is it something that will have to be taken forever in order to have the effects? Or once the cholesterol comes down, it doesn't need to be taken as often?

[@milliemcdonald2004]

Red Yeast Rice. What will it do to my blood sugar

[@e.a.miller6503]

I don’t know one person taking a statin that has not had profound fatigue and or muscle pain.

[@MR-pr8tp]

Amen! And from several studies in medical journals, and nine physicians questioning the data of statins, read where people still had heart and strokes. One has to wonder. I grew up when smoking was good health!. Wondering if statins will be end up with the same laughable evidence as did cigarettes. I am a senior so will not be able to witness it... lol.One era says eggs are bad, now they are okay; who knows anymore.

[@VintageLPs]

I have taken 10 mgs. of Simvastatin for 15 years and have never had a side effect. My total cholesterol was 300+ and it has remained just below 200 ever since I started the statin. HOWEVER, I recently found out that there is another test for Lp(a) cholesterol that most people have never heard of because there is no drug to lower it. My sister-in-law is my age, 77, and she had two mini strokes. She lives in Germany and when tested, her Lp(a) was 188! 30 is considered normal. She now must have her blood filtered once a week which takes 2 1/2 hours. This lowers her Lp(a) to 30 but by 7 days it is already back up to 122. My brother (her husband) has had several illnesses including prostate cancer and needed a pacemaker so he asked to be tested and his Lp(a) level was 105. He emailed and asked if I had ever been tested and, as I said, I never heard of it. Since it is hereditary, I asked to be tested four weeks ago and my Lp(a) is 155. 30 is normal. Then, I found online a blind study in China published in Europe and those people who were given a statin drug ended up with an even higher level of Lp(a). Those given the placebo remained at the same level. Of course, this more than alarms me because it suggests that my statin drug is making my HDL and LDL levels normal but it could be causing my Lp(a) to become even worse. The only possible drug to correct this is only starting Stage 4 testing so it is a long way from being approved by the FDA if ever. If the doctor whose vlog I just watched on red rice would comment, I would very much appreciate it. Between osteoporosis (fractured hip) and now a slightly elevated resting blood pressure, I feel more than overwhelmed. I exercise one hour per day and am a normal weight for my height but I have lost 1 1/2 inches in height.

[@cleanqueen75]

I’ve been taking RYR for about a year. I just had bloodwork and it hasn’t lowered my ldl in fact my triglycerides have gone up. If I could lose 25 pounds I’m sure that would help.

[@drsusan]

Yes, it's obviously not a panacea for everything -weight loss is certainly the most important factor to reduce body fat and insulin resistance, and some people need to be on a prescription statin- so by no means am suggesting that everybody can benefit from rice if you haven't seen a change I would definitely switch to a prescription statin with your doctor's advice and then double down on your weight loss commitment! 2000 mg of Omega 3 (DHEA and EPA) also helps lower triglycerides

[@33lucyp82]

Maybe try a different brand. The one sold at Costco is a good one.

[@papag1961]

Why would you take a pharmaceutical Statin instead of red yeast rice

[@MR-pr8tp]

Why would you take red yeast rice instead of a doctor's interest of statin, under his/her care if red yeast rice is in the prescribed? As posted and from what I read, there are the same side effects from red yeast rice as in statins.

[@assuntacruz2778]

Dr. Susan, kindly let me know if Thorne Red Yeast Rice plus CoQ10 can be consumed in the night. Will not the CoQ10 in it keep one awake. Otherwise when do you suggest that I should take it. Morning or noon. I am 66yrs old.

[@DaveOriginallyfromBrooklyn]

I take 2 thorne chol 900. Would you rec 1 or staying with 2 thx

[@christopheroconnell7579]

It’s literally a statin. Chemical structure is the same

[@julianasunil3691]

Hello Doctor, I have hypothyroidism and on 100 mcg Thyronorm.... Is it safe for me to take RYR and the disage which would be safe for me. Looking forward to a response from you, Thank you😊

[@drsusan]

I'm not able to answer any specific questions about your health since I don't know your history, so please check with your doctor. In general one of the Thorne products that I mentioned is an appropriate dose.

[@claudiapangan1676]

Great video!!!

[@paulohlsson27]

Hi Claudia, how's your day going with you?

[@alawingan]

I am so happy ive seen this, gives me hope, i am 42 and recently had teats result if 304 total cholesterol. My triglyceride and HDL are both really good. Did u take any supplements?

[@kristinebarbaree2697]

At what point should your doctor prescribe statins ? I am 59 and had my cholestrol checked for the 1st time , my total cholestrol is 261, LDL is 181 , with good levels of HDL and triglycerides . I exercise several times a week and am an ideal weight. For several months before before the test , I had switched to low carb eating because my A1C was borderline . While Doing this low carb eating I was consuming eggs everyday and full fat cheeses. I lost 10 lbs eating low carb , so now I am at 134 lbs. I weight train . Now it appears that my A1C is normal and my cholestrol is through the roof , although it could have already been that way since it’s never been tested. My sister is 10 yrs older and an athlete and mainly a vegetarian , so I think the high cholestrol is hereditary

[@raquel5401]

high ldl is NOT a risk factor for heart diease- that is total bs, heart attacks happen in people with low ldl just as frequently, so if your triglycerides and HDL are good- leave it alone

[@MrCaseHarts]

You need to get your ldl below 100. Talk to your doctor soon but most cardiologists agree below 100 if not 80 is best for LDL. Statins work on people with genetic cholesterol.

[@kristinebarbaree2697]

@@MrCaseHarts I have never actually met my doctor but he got my test results and didn’t prescribe statins . I am trying red yeast rice . Btw, do doctors even care about patients anymore ?

[@linofreek52]

The side effects for Statins are more like 30% ... you may also get higher blood sugar levels ....this also happens on a Statin .. the lowering of Cholesterol is also very debatable ...even more so with age and gender .

[@TruthsSake]

No they’re not. That’s false. Side effects from statins are within a few % and are very low. Statins are fairly safe and effective.

[@linofreek52]

@@TruthsSake The fact is those stats are false ...they are unsubstatiated as yet big pharma has failed to disclose any real stats that make sense ...as per usual they dont want folks knowing the truth ...but i do know .

[@MR-pr8tp]

​@@TruthsSake Interesting that everyone here reading the posts, listening to the alternative, must have side effects from prescribed statins, otherwise we would be accepting the statins, not interested in an alternative. Pharmaceutical companies tweak their data . As.a doctor once told me, pharmaceuticals are not going to sell the cons of their drugs. I worked for a major pharmaceutical company at one time and trust me, the data is chopped, diced, mixed, and will sell the good, downplaying the bad. The reps are trained to say and what not to say and have an answer for every concern. And they must meet their quotas/ budgets and prescriptions rates. Or they are out the door. Analyzed to the max. Anything to sell a product and pass it on to consumers, bankrupting us for our health. Sorry but totally disagree.

[@margaritagordin171]

Doctor is vey anxious about cholesterol level

[@johntokarski7255]

How can I talk to you?

[@WalkwithGod4eternity]

I started taking the Durable brand 800mg with CoQ10 a few weeks ago. My LDL is about 170, pretty high, and hoping after 3 months, it will significantly drop. Anyone else taking the Durable brand? My uncle, who is strictly vegan, has been taking it for about 4 months, and his LDL dropped about 35 points. Works good for him. Im also on a plant based diet now. I substitute raw honey for sugar, consume non dairy products, oatmeal, whole grain pasta, and bread and avocado toast every day. I'm trying to eat right since I got my labs done and saw those high numbers and also knowing heart disease runs in my family. I was eating lots of ice cream, hamburgers, cheese, and high cholesterol foods. I do feel better already switching to a more "vegan" diet.

[@blabla9845]

A prescription statin caused arthritis and inflammation in my neck.

[@TruthsSake]

If your LDL is still above 60, then arterial plaque is STILL forming. So if one is taking red test rice and they can get it lower, but not low enough (under 60) which is when arterial plaque no longer forms, then your LDL is still too high and you’re still at higher risk and thus may need a stronger drug like an actual statin.

[@timothy5988]

Lol

[@TruthsSake]

@@timothy5988 You must be a flat earther

[@timothy5988]

@@TruthsSake and you must be a lemming. "You blinded me with science" I guess you favor statins in the drinking water too🤡

[@DaveOriginallyfromBrooklyn]

There are many who say ldl has little to do with heart disease.

[@TruthsSake]

@@DaveOriginallyfromBrooklyn Many quacks and diet influencer gurus online hold that view. The scientific consensus - you know, those people who spend well over a decade in medical school to actually know what they’re talking about - however does not hold that view.

[@heathertaunton215]

Some research shows that there is a link between statins and dementia, and I’ve also seen some studies show statins may reduce dementia? With this being a main ingredient in statins I’m curious to know your opinion?

[@cleanqueen75]

I have to disagree with you on the percentage of people developing joint pain. My friend has been on a statin for over 20 years and has to go off of it for a month because of leg pain. My friends mom couldn’t even get out of bed because of joint pain!

[@drsusan]

It happens- but those are national statistics!

[@33lucyp82]

You can't compare a few people you know with national statistics.

[@triciasmith3277]

Statins raise A1c…will RYR do the same?

[@drsusan]

Some statins can occasionally HA1c, but I have personally never seen this with RYR - we follow this in all our patients

[@clararodas6243]

Thank you very much ❤

[@cleanqueen75]

How do you know if it has the monocolin K in it?

[@drsusan]

You don't really - except if you take a reliable product that's tested by the manufacturer (like Thorne !)

[@Stickit2daman]

Thank you for such an informative video! :)

[@a3marketing991]

I believe statin side effects are more common than reported. Patients, such as myself, just stop taking the statin. I reported my side effects to my doctor and he didn't want to listen. I'm looking for a new doctor. I've lowered my cholesterol quite a bit using Berberine, CoQ10, Lumbrokinase and Step One Foods.

[@joannrector6762]

I had an allergic reaction to a statin. That is why I want to try something else.

[@ronvitale1944]

I tried the last product you talked about by piper biometrics,it worked very well

[@Jess33-w1o]

Take amla instead

[@carolyndupre]

Question for Dr. Susan Hardwick Smith: My husband and I have been taking Piper Gummies and Red yeast rice & Coq10. Should we omit gummies?

[@drsusan]

Those were by a different pathway, so no reason to get rid of them. Are you seeing a benefit in your blood work? That's the most important thing

[@carolyndupre]

Thank you. I will have bloodwork in a few weeks.

[@paulohlsson27]

Hi Carolyn, how's your day going with you?

[@michellebailey4769]

I have been taking the plant sterol gummies recommended by Dr. Susan and my cholesterol has gone down. I refuse to take RYR because it’s technically a statin.

[@shawnfallahi5616]

does red yeast rice have the same anti-inflammatory properties as statins?

[@drsusan]

Red yeast rice is a statin, so if you think about it that way it has all the same benefits as a statin

[@karolamelka]

What is Apo b?

[@drsusan]

I have lots of videos on this topic! It's a very long topic for a KZbin answer but the short version is it's a protein on the outside of atherogenic cholesterol particles (LDL, IDL, VLDL and lipo(a). It is one most reliable biomarkers for the risk of heart disease.

[@morgenmorgen4625]

I wish Thorn had powder or gunmies :(

[@tanyadrake5674]

Yep, I swear by thorn😊 worth the price😅

[@user-ow4ij8ix3m]

A bunch of Japanese just died recently from taking this supplements from kidney failure.

[@drsusan]

Yes, there are a lot of deaths from supplements that are not monitored or pure. That's why it's very important to have a good brand.

[@33lucyp82]

That's why it's important to know which brand to buy. Some red yeast rice products contain a contaminant called citrinin, which can cause kidney failure.

[@CarlaGarner-lp5lj]

Alot of stuff cause problems

[@arnoldfrackenmeyer8157]

Yes. RYR will lower cholesterol because it is a statin. But WHY do you want to lower your cholesterol?

[@cyumadbrosummit3534]

Because of indisputable evidence that high APO-b will in fact reduce healthspan.

[@arnoldfrackenmeyer8157]

@@cyumadbrosummit3534 Thank you for your answer. I will look at the studies. Many thanks.

[@arnoldfrackenmeyer8157]

@@cyumadbrosummit3534 - So then are you saying people in Minnesota, Hawaii, and Colorado have lower levels of APO-b?

[@JGirl.7]

Great point. Not everyone needs to lower cholesterol and too much focus had been put on high LDL which is not necessarily a bad thing.

[@rozbailey6889]

The difference is - from nature, the body recognises it, synthetic the body rejects it. Agreed, this is a potent supplement that needs careful consideration when taking

[@tommydangelo2479]

i use thorne choleast works better the lovastatin and atrovastatin

[@ShowMeWhatINeedToKnow]

red yeast rice and pantethine

[@michellehalfordlesueur716]

Those of you using this substance should go get a kidney function test as a precaution..... Rather eat healthy to lower cholesterol

[@drsusan]

Everybody taking, the supplements, should have labs drawn, and I totally agree. We check kidney function and liver function before and after just like in patients on statins because it is a statin.

[@billb513]

RYR didn’t lower my LDL. Went up. Waste of money.

[@richardparis8738]

Your liver 80%

[@richardparis8738]

184 mine 😂