Red Rice Yeast a Natural Alternative to Lowering High Cholesterol

Red rice yeast, a natural ingredient found to lower cholesterol. Red rice yeast extract offers a natural alternative to those concerned about issues of lowering high cholesterol. HealthyChoiceNaturals, a trusted provider of natural alternatives to prescription drugs, recently found in their research that red rice yeast provided results in lowering bad cholesterol, while increasing good cholesterol.

San Clemente, CA (PRWEB) May 5, 2007 -- To date, about or greater than 50 million American adults have blood cholesterol levels high enough to require medical advice and treatment and continuously counting, more than 90 million adults have cholesterol levels that are higher than what is desired.

A main concern of those trying to lower cholesterol levels for good health was the side effects and dangers of statin drugs.HealthyChoiceNaturals, a trusted provider of natural alternatives to prescription drugs, recently found in their research that red rice yeast provided results in lowering bad cholesterol, while increasing good cholesterol.

"The question to go natural in combating high cholesterol is no longer a difficult one to answer." More than 100 million prescriptions are written for LDL lowering statin drugs annually. With the array of negative side effects of these often dangerous drugs, solving your cholesterol problem naturally may be a far more wise decision.

The Hong Qu or the red rice yeast is one good example of a natural cholesterol combatant. The Food and Drugs Administration believes that this natural substance originating from China can indeed inhibit cholesterol building in the human body. The Monacolin-K component found in red rice yeast is acting as the inhibitor of the enzyme known as HMG-Coa reductase, which acts as the cholesterol trigger. As a matter of fact, with the conclusion of the 12-week study conducted at the UCLA School of Medicine, where respondents were randomly receiving an amount of red yeast rice, the study has arrived at the following benefits that the human heart can receive from using this natural substance.

There was a significant reduction in the total cholesterol levels; there was a lower level of LDL or the commonly termed "bad" cholesterol; there was an increase in the HDL level known as the good cholesterol; and it reduced the level of unhealthy fats called triglycerides.
"The study showed that the red rice yeast appeared to be restricting the liver's production of cholesterol." The compound responsible for this effect is chemically similar to the cholesterol lowering compoundlovastatin.

The unsaturated fatty acids found to present in the red yeast rice extract are also found to be useful to lower down the level of triglycerides. "The red yeast rice extract may help mitigate heart disease occurrences" and their associated complications because of its effects in decreasing cholesterol content in the human body....

For further information visit: HealthyChoiceNaturals.com
or call 1-800-985-2808.

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Stopping Statins After Stroke Raises Risk of Death, Dependency

ST. PAUL, Minn – EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4 P.M. ET, MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2007 Media Contacts: Angela Babb, ababb@aan.com, (651) 695-2789

ST. PAUL, MN- People who stopped taking cholesterol-lowering drugs after being hospitalized for a stroke are at greater risk of death or dependency within three months of the stroke, according to a study published in the August 28, 2007, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The study found that people who stopped taking their cholesterol-lowering drugs, also called statins, while hospitalized after a stroke were 4.7 times more likely to have died or be dependent on others for their care three months after the stroke than people who kept taking the drugs.

“These results strongly support the recommendation to physicians to continue statin drugs during the acute phase of an ischemic stroke,” said study author José Castillo, MD, PhD, of the University of Santiago de Compostela in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Castillo said that while no protocols suggest that patients should not receive statins after a stroke, in many cases the drugs are discontinued to avoid problems that can occur when stomach content is regurgitated into the lungs. “This study clearly shows the benefits of continuing statin use,” he said.

The study involved 89 people who were already taking the cholesterol-lowering drugs at the time when they had a stroke. For the first three days after being admitted to the hospital, 46 of the people received no statin drugs and 43 received the drugs.

After three months, 27 people, or 60 percent, of the group that received no statins had either died or were disabled to the point that they could not complete their daily activities independently, compared to 16 people, or 39 percent, of the group that kept taking statins.

Previous studies have shown that people who are taking statins at the time of a stroke have less severe strokes than those who aren’t taking statins.

Statins appear to do more than reduce cholesterol. They also reduce inflammation and help keep the blood from clotting, which can cause stroke. Statins also increase the release of nitric oxide, which is protective, from the cells lining artery walls.