Supplement
Red yeast rice is rice fermented with a yeast that makes monacolin K, a natural form of lovastatin that slows an enzyme the liver uses to build cholesterol. Most people look at it for high cholesterol, where the evidence is strong, and in trials of people with type 2 diabetes, LDL cholesterol fell. Apolipoprotein A showed no clear difference, though that evidence is very limited.
Sources: PMID 35111069; PMID 26246836
- Updated
- How we grade
- 2 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade A
- Conditions studied
- 2
- Outcomes
- 10
- Graded outcomes
- 1101
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) Moderate Improvement | Improves (the measure goes down) | Moderate effect | 2 studies | 891 people | ||
| High-density lipoprotein (HDL) Moderate Improvement | Improves (the measure goes up) | Moderate effect | 891 people | |||
| Total cholesterol | Improves (the measure goes down) | 891 people | ||||
| Triglycerides | Improves (the measure goes down) | 891 people | ||||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apolipoprotein A No effect | NoneNo effect | 1,012 people | ||||
| Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) | Improves (the measure goes down) | 2 studies | 1,012 people | |||
| Apolipoprotein B | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1,012 people | ||||
| High-density lipoprotein (HDL) | Improves (the measure goes up) | 1,012 people | ||||
| Total cholesterol | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1,012 people | ||||
| Triglycerides | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1,012 people | ||||
Key findings
- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)Improves (the measure goes down)
- High-density lipoprotein (HDL)Improves (the measure goes up)
- Apolipoprotein A
Shop the evidence-backed picks
Third-party tested Red Yeast Rice products, in the forms the graded studies used where we can match them.
- Grade A
Links to Fullscript, iHerb or Thorne carry our referral, so we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Grades come from the research and never change based on what we earn. Fullscript asks for a free account before it shows its catalog and prices. Full disclosure
Studies cited
2 studies from PubMed