This section covers supplements and habits linked to cholesterol and heart health. You will find product reviews, best-of guides and explainers on LDL, HDL and triglycerides.We look at ingredient doses, the quality of the human trials behind them, and safety notes. Red yeast rice, for example, can act like a statin, so we flag it clearly. We also check fish oil freshness testing where available, plus the refund policy.If you take a statin or other heart medication, or are pregnant, talk to your doctor before using any of these products.Is red yeast rice a safe way to lower cholesterol?Not necessarily. Some red yeast rice products contain monacolin K, which is chemically the same as the drug lovastatin. That means it can carry the same side effects and interactions as a statin. Other products contain little of it, or contain a contaminant called citrinin. The amount varies by brand. Talk with your doctor before using it.Source: Red Yeast Rice, NCCIH
Red yeast rice can lower LDL cholesterol because it contains monacolin K, the same molecule as the statin lovastatin. Trials found an LDL drop of about 1.02 mmol/L, but US brands varied more than 120-fold in strength, some contain the kidney toxin citrinin, and tablets in Japan were linked to kidney injury. Talk to a doctor before trying it.
Read the label first. Then decide.
Slow, plain-language supplement reviews. We read the label, compare each dose with the research and work out the real cost. Edited by Maya Ellison.
The Well Brew is general information, not medical advice. Dietary supplements are not reviewed by the FDA for safety or effectiveness before they are sold. Talk to your doctor before you start, stop or combine supplements. Some links are affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you, and it never changes what we report.