The Only Statin That Lowers Cholesterol and Helps You Live Longer
But it gets even better. Medicine is now using the term NNT. That means the number needed to treat in order to spare one event or death. The lower the number, obviously, the better the product.
Statins, for example, have an NNT to prevent a heart disease death of about 69. And their NNT for preventing a death from all causes is about 61.
Compare that to xuezhikang. The researchers estimated that the NNT of xuezhikang to prevent one coronary event was 18. Similarly, the NNT to prevent one coronary death was estimated to be 33. And they estimated the NNT to prevent one death due to all causes was about 23.
You can see the difference. The Chinese product is more than three times as effective. Furthermore, xuezhikang use did not cause any difference in adverse side effects when compared to the placebo.
So what is this incredible product? Xuezhikang is the Chinese name for one of three preparations of red yeast rice. Yes, simple red yeast rice, a product Ive repeatedly mentioned as an alternative to statins. And the same product our gun-toting drug enforcers have vilified time and time again.
Red yeast rice contains lovastatin, the same basic compound found in the statin drug Mevacor. So how could it be so superior? The answer lies in the ancient concept long destroyed by Big Pharma: The whole is superior to an isolated part. There are many factors in a whole food in addition to what we insolent humans want to call the active ingredient.
Vitamin C is the best example. Ascorbic acid is purified vitamin C. Food-source vitamin C products are a combination of ascorbic acid and all the accompanying bioflavonoids it needs to function at its best. (My favorite is from The Synergy Company.
I have been a fan of red yeast rice for a long time, as you may know. Now my interest is far greater.
If you have a stubborn cholesterol problem, consider red yeast rice. Take 1,200 mg daily. My favorite brand is Vincos organic red yeast rice. (You can find it in many health food stores and on the Internet.) Unlike many Chinese products, the manufacturers regularly check their product for heavy metals.
Even though red yeast rice lowers your all-cause mortality risk, I still suggest using CoQ10 (100 mg) along with it. This study has awesome results without CoQ10. However, all statins and statin-like products can lower your livers production of this critical nutrient.
That is why I still recommend you improve your diet and use other cholesterol-lowering products if needed. Many people have successfully lowered their cholesterol with a plant-based diet and with guggul and policosanol. But red yeast rice can be an effective part of your cholesterol-lowering program.
Ref: J Am Geriatr Soc, 2007; 55(7); JAMA, 1999;282:2340-2346.
