Healthy Cholesterol

Probably every American adult has heard the dire warnings about elevated cholesterol levels and how these can lead to heart disease. Yet more than 104 million of us have high levels, and of these, about 38 million face serious health problems because of dangerously high total cholesterol levels of 240 mg/dL or more, reports the American Heart Association.

What Is Cholesterol?

Despite its bad reputation, we all need cholesterol-a natural waxy substance-for many normal bodily functions. Produced primarily by the liver, cholesterol helps form cell membranes, aids in producing bile acids to help digest fats, produces some hormones, and works in other important ways. Because cholesterol and other fats can't dissolve in the blood, the cholesterol travels through the body in "packets" called lipoproteins. The body uses only small amounts of cholesterol, and problems arise when the body can't flush out the excess.

Divided into two categories, lipoproteins are known as LDL, or low-density lipoproteins, and HDL, or high-density lipoproteins. Characterized as the "bad" type of cholesterol, LDL is the primary transporter of cholesterol, and when the blood carries too much of it, LDL can build up on artery walls in a complex process, forming a hard plaque deposit that leads to clogged arteries, which reduces blood flow to the heart and may cause heart attacks. It can also reduce blood flow to the brain, leading to strokes.

HDL carries smaller amounts of cholesterol-about one-quarter of what is in the blood-and it helps by carrying surplus amounts of LDL to the liver and in that way, slowing the growth of plaque. Research suggests that ample amounts of HDL may actually help protect against heart attacks.

Many people struggle to keep their lipoproteins-that is, their cholesterol-under check and in proper balance. Doctors often prescribe a strict diet, stress-reduction techniques, and a regimen of aerobic exercise for patients as natural ways to keep LDL levels in check and to bolster HDL levels. But diet and exercise are only part of the picture. Smoking and drinking alcohol both increase the risk of building up high cholesterol levels, and heredity also plays its role: Many people inherit a family tendency for high cholesterol levels.

Reducing Cholesterol

Because fighting high cholesterol is such a universal problem, scientists have developed a battery of cholesterol-reducing drugs that fall into four general classes: HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, the statins; niacin; fibric acid derivative; and bile acid binding resin. Many of the so-called statin drugs, which can be costly, may also carry disagreeable side effects, including nausea and muscle soreness, as well as potentially harmful side effects, including an increase in liver enzymes interfering with liver function. Yet, doctors have at hand a centuries-old natural product, which may be the best and least costly LDL-balancing agent. Additionally, it has few, if any, side effects. The weapon? Red yeast rice.

Red Yeast Rice

During the T'ang Dynasty in the ninth century AD, the Chinese discovered red yeast rice, a product that resulted from the fermenting of red Monascus purpureus yeast over nonglutinous rice. Originally, the Chinese used it for making rice wine and for enhancing food color and taste-even today, says Guy Evans, CEO of BioActive Nutrients, the reddish color that burnishes your favorite Peking duck is a food additive that comes from red yeast rice.

Later during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the traditional Chinese materia medica pharmacopoeia, Ben Cao Gang Mu-Dan Shi Bu Yi, recorded that Chinese doctors had found that powdered red yeast rice benefited patients with abdominal pain and internal and external trauma, or bruising, reports Hsu Hong-Yen in the Oriental Materia Medica.

Today Chinese doctors use red yeast rice to improve blood circulation, help the spleen to work more efficiently, and treat bruises and hangovers. Chinese and Western researchers have also discovered that at least one strain of red yeast rice helps reduce cholesterol and lower triglycerides, offering patients another dietary way to improve their health, reports David Heber, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Center of Human Nutrition at UCLA, and colleagues, in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Natural Benefits

"Red yeast rice works to combat LDL buildup and to reduce LDL excesses," says Frank Ervolino, N.D. (who received his degree from Bastyr University, a Seattle-area, fully accredited naturopathic medicine university). It naturally contains such active constituents as monacolin I to VI, and monacolin K. In the late 1970s in Japan, where red yeast rice had long been a dietary staple and used in making red yeast rice sake, Professor Akira Endo identified the certain strain of red yeast that acted as a natural cholesterol-lowering substance, known as monacolin K. Monacolin K works by interfering with the liver enzyme HMG-CoA reductase (which controls cholesterol production), says Ervolino.

Cholesterol Control-A Superior Formulation

Today, one can find a range of red yeast supplements available. But there is one that stands out from the rest-Cholesterol Control from BioActive Nutrients. It's a red yeast preparation containing a combination of monacolins with additional natural ingredients for maximum efficacy. This is a money-saving formula to help support healthy cholesterol. Pam M. from Spooner, Wisconsin was introduced to Cholesterol Control by a friend.

When I went for my annual physical at the clinic last September, my total cholesterol was 243 with an HDL of 46, and an LDL of 175. My triglycerides were 134. My doctor suggested diet and exercise, but she also wanted me to take a prescription drug, Lipitor. It didn't hurt me, but I felt uncomfortable taking it, because it had so many possible side effects. I ran into a friend's husband, who had had high blood pressure and had taken BioActive Nutrients' Cholesterol Control, plus lecithin and vitamins.

My doctor wanted to see me again a few months later to see how I had improved. When I went back to see her (in January 2005) she tested me, and my total cholesterol was 187, my HDL 55, my LDL 122, and my triglycerides 60. I told her I took only one Lipitor, preferring to take a food supplement instead. The doctor sent me a letter stating that I had made a dramatic improvement...She said "I don't think you have to come back for a recheck for a year."

While no one can predict your results and Pam M.'s experience may not be indicative of yours, Ervolino thinks highly of Cholesterol Control as well, because it helps support healthy inflammation levels, a big factor in heart health, and it acts like the statin drugs without the harmful side effects. "As in Chinese herbal medicine, the formula's various elements work together synergistically, making the product much more beneficial, especially for people with borderline cholesterol levels," he told us enthusiastically.
"Red yeast rice is completely safe," says Guy Evans. "It has been around for thousands of years, and there are clinical trials that prove how helpful it is to people. I can't think of any other nutrients that come close to its effectiveness."

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Cholesterol Control is available at health food stores and can be special ordered for you by your retailer by calling the company at (800) 879-6504.