Chinese condiment cuts blood cholestrol
American Heart Associations meeting report:

ORLANDO, Fla, March 25..The spice that gives Peking Duck its distinctive red color seems to lower blood cholestrol, two research teams reported at the Americam Heart Association's epidemology and prevention meeting.

In a study conducted in China, an extract of the red yeast fermented on rice, which is sold under the name of Cholestin, reduced total blood cholestrol by nearly 26% in elderly patients after eight weeks of treatment, says the study's lead author, Joseph Chang, Ph.D., vice president of clinical affairs at Pharmanex, Inc. The Simi Valley, California, company imports the dietary supplement to the United States.

"Cholestin also reduced "bad" cholestrol or low density lipoprotein cholestrol (LDL) by 32.8% and decreased by 19.9% triglycerides, a type of blood fat associated with increased risk for heart disease," says Chang.

The average total cholestrol level of studt participants was 225 milligrams/deciliter (mg/dL); average LDL was 160 mg/dL and the average triglyerides were 250 mg/dL . LDL is called the "bad" cholestrol because it collects in the blood vessels to form plaque that can block blood flow, triggering a heart attach or stroke. Individuals who did not receive the supplement had reductions of total blood cholestrol and LDL of about 7%, says Chang.

James Rippe, M.D., an associate professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, reports similar results in a second study that was conducted in 12 Medical Centers and funded by Pharmanex. He reported that after 8 weeks on Cholestin, individuals had a 16.4% drop in total blood cholestrol. There LDL decreased by 21%, and HDL-cholestrol, the "good" cholestrol increased by 14.6%. HDL cholestrol is called "good" cholestrol because it helps remove the "bad" cholestrol from the blood. The average cholestrol levels for this group were 242 mg/dL; average LDL was 158 mg/dL and the average HDL was 50mg/dL.

"In China, the red yeast is known to promote healthy heart function," says Rippe.

He speculated that the differences in results between the Chinese and Boston studies could be due to the fact the Chinese study sed a more concentrated yeast than found in Cholestin.

"As a natural substance there are hundreds of potentially active ingredients in Cholestin that could have contributed to the cholestrol lowering. Cholestin contains a range of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors that probably contribute to the effect," Rippe says. "The Chinese study participants received approximately 13.5 milligrams of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors each day in the Cholestin preparation that they took, while the participants in Boston received about 9.6 mg per day," according to Rippe.

Most of the cholestrol that circulates in the blood does not come from dietary cholestrol but is instead manufacturered by the liver. HMG-CoA reductase is an enzyme found in the liver that controls cholestrol production in the body. By inhibiting that enzyme, red yeast reduces the body's cholestrol output, according to Rippe.

"Although red yeast fermented on rice is used to spice traditional Chinese food, such as Peking duck and spareribs, this is not an effective way to consume the substance," says Rippe. "The capusle form of red yeast rice contains a more consistent amount of the active ingredients than the amount people in China obtain from these sources in their diet.

The American Heart Association continues to advise individuals to try to lower high blood cholestrol with a diet that is low in saturated fat and rich in fruit, vegetables and whole grain.