Dr. Brozina: Red Yeast Rice Extract for Lowering Cholesterol

Cardiovascular diseases are at the top of the mortality pyramid, and to keep our heart and circulatory system healthy, it is recommended to follow a few "simple" measures.

Dr. Alenka Brozinaautor
Dr.Brozina: Ekstrakt crvene riže za niži kolesterol

If you are looking for a natural remedy to lower blood cholesterol, Dr. Alenka Brozina has a solution – red yeast rice extract.

Cardiovascular diseases are at the top of the mortality pyramid, and to keep our heart and circulatory system healthy, it is recommended to follow a few “simple” measures: engage in some form of physical exercise daily, regulate your body weight, quit using tobacco products, reduce daily stress levels, and pay attention to your diet. However, the greatest threat to the heart and circulatory system is so-called blood fats.

When we talk about blood fats, we mean cholesterol and triglycerides. Cholesterol is often divided into “good” cholesterol, or HDL cholesterol and “bad” cholesterol – LDL cholesterol. Since LDL cholesterol is the primary culprit for the development of cardiovascular diseases, the European Society of Cardiology, in its new guidelines for the prevention and treatment of hyperlipoproteinemia (“elevated blood fats”), recommends maintaining targeted LDL cholesterol levels below 1,4 mmol/L.

Caution with Treatment

Low cholesterol levels can be maintained by modifying dietary therapy, i.e., being careful about what you eat, but in some cases, this is almost impossible. To reduce elevated cholesterol levels in the blood, medications known as statins are prescribed. However, in my practice, I often receive inquiries from patients looking for a natural remedy to lower blood fats.I would first like to clarify some of the concerns related to treating elevated blood fats:

  • Never independently choose a specific medication/supplement to lower elevated blood fats. Always consult with your primary care physician or cardiologist.
  • People who have had cardiovascular incidents, such as a myocardial infarction or are being treated for angina pectoris, must use only the therapy prescribed by their cardiologist.

Natural Remedy for Cholesterol – Red Yeast Rice Extract

When it comes to naturally lowering elevated blood cholesterol, I have heard of many formulations, but the one that has proven to be most effective in practice is supplementation with monacolin K, which is derived from fermented red yeast rice. Today, there are many versions of red yeast rice extract on the market, but in working with my patients, I have the best experiences with the product Choleo ResQ’PRO from the Croatian brand Hug Your Life.
Crvena riža kao namirnica iz koje se dobiva monakolin K Why Do I Prefer This Product? I favor this product because of its composition. In addition to fermented red yeast rice extract with a minimum of 5% monacolin, it also contains resveratrol, coenzyme Q10, and a dry extract of olive fruit. Furthermore, it is enriched with vitamins E, D3, B1, B6, and B12. Specifically, vitamins B1, B6, and B12 contribute to lowering homocysteine levels, and thereby also have a positive effect on “bad” LDL cholesterol.
Thus, besides containing red yeast rice extract, the product also includes olive fruit extract standardized to 5% hydroxytyrosol. The importance of hydroxytyrosol in protecting low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and its consequent implication in reducing cardiovascular disease risk has been highlighted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). EFSA concluded that it is desirable to consume 5 mg of hydroxytyrosol and its derivatives daily to achieve this effect at the physiological level.

In 2011, EFSA issued a scientific opinion on the validity of health claims related to olive polyphenols and their protection of LDL particles from oxidative damage. Among other points, it states:

“Olive polyphenols have antioxidant properties that may help maintain healthy LDL cholesterol levels and lipid oxidation.”

Under the condition of daily use: 20 g of olive oil containing polyphenols at 200 mg/kg or a minimum of 2 mg of hydroxytyrosol (EFSA Journal 2011;9(4):2033).

 

Choleo ResQ’PRO – A Vegetarian Gluten-Free Supplement

In addition to the aforementioned ingredients, it is important to mention coenzyme Q10, which, through its beneficial effects—primarily as an antioxidant—helps reduce LDL cholesterol levels and has a favorable impact on elevated blood pressure. For added synergy and improved bioavailability, Choleo ResQ’PRO includes the patented form of black pepper extract, BioPerine. In Addition to the Composition of This Product what delights me greatly is the fact that this product is gluten-free, meaning that no ingredients containing gluten have been used, which is extremely important for people with celiac disease and those who need to avoid gluten.
Furthermore, the product is labeled as vegetarian and is manufactured in Croatia, which is also a significant advantage. Therefore, if you have decided to use a natural cholesterol supplement that features red yeast rice extract, and are adhering to a proper diet and regular exercise, my warm recommendation is to take one capsule daily of Choleo ResQ’PRO.

 

Dr. Alenka Brozinaautor

Born in Rijeka in 1973. Graduated from the Medical School at the University of Rijeka in 1999, and in 2006 passed the specialist exam in internal medicine. For many years, she has been studying the impact of nutrition on the human body and health; she has completed numerous foreign and domestic postgraduate educations, especially in diet therapy, clinical nutrition, sports medicine, and sports cardiology, including a university master's in "Physiological, nutritional, and pharmacological aspects of sports and fitness" in Camerino (Italy) and "Basics of holistic nutrition" in London (England). For many years she actively participated as a lecturer and educator in weight loss programs, and until 2015 she held the position of head of the nutrition and diet therapy clinic at the Opatija "Thalassotherapy". She deepened her love for phytoaromatherapy at the phytoaromatherapy school with Dr. sc. Stribor Marković, which she successfully completed in 2010. She participates in numerous activities as a lecturer and scientific collaborator. Until 2013 she served as the vice-president of the Association of Celiac Disease PGŽ, and since 2015 has been the head of the Adenium Center, an association for promoting proper nutrition, clinical phytoaromatherapy, and holistic (integrative) approach to health. Employed at the PGŽ Health Center as a specialist internist with areas of work in cardiology and pulmonology. In her work, she emphasizes an integrative and individual approach primarily to prevention and treatment of diseases as well as clinical application of phytoaromatherapy and diet therapy https://nutrifito.weebly.com/o-meni.html

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