Cholesterol is a type of fat (lipid)
made by the body. It is essential for good health and is found
in every cell in the body. However, a high cholesterol level
in the blood (hypercholesterolaemia) is associated with an
increased risk of various problems, such as coronary heart
disease (CHD) and stroke.
It is claimed that Red Yeast Rice, used for centuries by the
Chinese and other Asian Cultures has been shown to effectivly
reduce high cholesterol levels. Red yeast extract contains
a number compounds known as statins, among them lovastatin,
the active ingredient in the cholesterol-lowering drug, Mevacor™
Plant sterols have a very similar structure to cholesterol.This means that when they are eaten they partially block the uptake of cholesterol from the gastrointestinal tract, thus reducing the cholesterol levels in the blood stream – particularly the more dangerous LDL cholesterol.
The effectiveness of plant sterols in reducing levels of cholesterol, regular consumption of 1 to 3 grams of plant sterols per day lowers LDL cholesterol by 5-15%.
