What’s It Like to Use Red Yeast Rice to Manage Cholesterol?
Key takeaways:
Red yeast rice is a popular natural option for lowering cholesterol.
Many people see improvements in their cholesterol levels without side effects.
Some people, however, experience side effects that are similar to those of prescription statins.
If you’ve been diagnosed with high cholesterol, you’re far from alone. More than 1 in 10 adults in the U.S. have high cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Many people take prescription medications or change their diet and exercise habits to help lower their cholesterol. But some turn to natural supplements, such as red yeast rice.
What is red yeast rice? Can it naturally lower cholesterol?
Red yeast rice is a traditional Chinese supplement made by fermenting rice with a type of yeast called Monascus purpureus. This process creates monacolin K, a compound similar to the prescription statin lovastatin. Statins are a class of medications that lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, sometimes called “bad” cholesterol.
According to the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, red yeast rice is one of the most effective natural options for lowering LDL cholesterol. But it’s not FDA regulated, so the quality and strength of products can vary. And while red yeast rice may help lower cholesterol, some studies indicate its effects are generally relatively modest compared to those of prescription statins.
So what is it really like to take red yeast rice? Here’s how three people describe their experiences using this natural supplement to help manage their cholesterol.
Affordable and easy to get, with good results and no side effects
Grant Kidd, a 49-year-old small business owner in Hot Springs, Arkansas, was diagnosed with high cholesterol a year and a half ago. The diagnosis was a surprise, since his levels had always tested within what’s considered to be a normal range.
“All of a sudden, my cholesterol just spiked — no diet change, no reason,” Grant says.
Grant wanted a natural treatment option and to avoid prescription medications. His doctor recommended trying red yeast rice.
“I went to good old Walmart and got whatever brand it was that they had; it wasn’t anything special,” Grant says. “It’s a powder substance in a capsule.”
He started taking 1 pill a day. He also stopped eating seed and soybean oils, using butter instead.
“Those were the only two things that I changed,” Grant says. In less than 3 months, his cholesterol dropped 70 mg/dL, which he views as a significant improvement. And he says he couldn’t be happier.
“It was cheap. I’ve had no side effects. It was easy to get, and I’ve had good results,” he says, adding “stronger than good results — exceptional.”
For more information on what cholesterol numbers mean, read this guide to high cholesterol.
Combining red yeast rice with diet changes improved her health
After moving to the U.S. from the Philippines in 2020, Angelita Wolfe started experiencing chest pain and was diagnosed with genetic high cholesterol.
Her doctor prescribed her atorvastatin (a statin) and aspirin. But she experienced side effects from the statin, including feeling dizzy and achy.
“I felt like my bones were getting weaker,” says Angelita, who’s now 45 and lives in Burns, Wyoming.
After 3 months, her doctor lowered her statin dosage and had her stop taking aspirin. But Angelita still experienced side effects.
She turned to a naturopath, who recommended natural supplements and diet changes. Angelita started taking red yeast rice, as well as fish oil, coenzyme Q10 (an antioxidant), and resveratrol (an antioxidant made from fruit skins) supplements.
Angelita says red yeast rice, in particular, stands out to her as having been beneficial — as well as easy to access.
“Red yeast rice is easy to find. I get it at a natural grocers,” she says. “The healthy diet, that really helps, supported by the supplements.”
Angelita has continued this approach since 2021, and her cholesterol levels have come back normal at regular checkups.
“It’s working for me,” she says. “I don’t want to go on other medicines again.”
It helped modestly, but came with statin-like side effects
Eileen Deutsch, who’s 74, has had high cholesterol since she was in her 30s and says she’s tried various treatments over the years to manage it.
“I’ve always been more inclined toward natural approaches,” she says. “A friend of mine told me that he found red rice yeast effective, and it lowered his overall cholesterol.”
Eileen, who lives on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, decided to try red yeast rice for about 9 months.
“It did lower my cholesterol modestly,” she says. “But I was never really sure about how much I should take — the correct dose. I think I just took whatever was on the bottle.”
Eileen eventually started to feel muscle pain in her groin, a common statin side effect. So she stopped taking red yeast rice, and the pain subsided. Later, she tried a prescription statin but experienced severe muscle pain again. Eileen also experimented with other supplements, like bergamot, but nothing significantly lowered her cholesterol.
Recent tests revealed that Eileen has high calcium levels, which also increases the risk for heart disease. So her doctor prescribed her an injectable medication called Repatha (evolocumab), an FDA-approved treatment for people who can’t tolerate statins. But she wasn’t able to take it because of the cost.
“The prescription came back as $2,600 a month, which was a deal-killer,” Eileen says. “I can’t afford that.”
Her doctor resubmitted the claim, and Eileen’s insurance company offered her a new copay of $350 a month. Though, she’s still not sure if it’s worth the cost.
“That’s obviously better, but it's still a life-changing amount of money for me. Some things will have to be given up to afford this medication,” she says.
“I have no symptoms of heart disease. And I’ve always had a good triglyceride-HDL ratio,” she adds, referring to a measure that can help assess heart disease risk.
For now, Eileen is doing further medical testing to evaluate her risks and waiting to see if a lower copay option is available.
What does the doctor say?
Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH
Senior Medical Editor
Keeping your cholesterol levels in what’s considered to be a healthy range can lower your risk of heart attacks and stroke. Statins are a safe and effective way to manage cholesterol levels. In the nearly 40 years that statins have been on the market, tens of millions of people have taken them.
But sometimes, statins aren’t enough to help manage cholesterol levels. Some people need to take additional treatments with statins, while others need alternative options because they experienced side effects from statins. Red yeast rice supplements can be a helpful option in these situations. While there is no evidence that it’s as effective as statins or other prescription cholesterol medications, red yeast rice can help lower cholesterol levels.
It’s important to know that, although red yeast rice supplements can help lower cholesterol, they are not regulated by the FDA. That means the supplements do not receive quality or safety checks. So it’s important to purchase supplements from well-established suppliers.
Make sure to let your healthcare team know if you’re taking red yeast rice supplements. Like other supplements, red yeast rice can interact with certain medications and foods. But your healthcare team can make sure your supplements don’t interfere with your medications.
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