Health Information Center – CedrikaProvencher

FOR lower cholesterol levels sometimes rise was not always have to take medicine the doctor prescribed. By simply doing a combination of supplementation and healthy lifestyle, it can be overcome cholesterol effectively, even as good as cholesterol-lowering drugs.

A recent study in the United States has recently shown, Chinese red rice diet (Angkak) plus fish oil supplementation balanced counseling program, exercise, and relaxation were able to reduce levels of bad cholesterol (low density lipoprotein / LDL). Diet model is also more effective in weight loss.

According to Dr David J Becker, a scientist from the University of Pennsylvania Health System’s Chestnut Hill Hospital, participants are people with high cholesterol who undergo Angkak rice diet and fish oil had lower LDL cholesterol 40 percent. This decrease was similar to patients taking the drug simvastatin 40 milligrams per day.

Not only that, participants Angkak diet and fish oil recorded an average decline of up to 10 pounds, or almost 5 pounds over 12 weeks. Meanwhile, those who took statins had only weight reduction is less than one pound.

Before you initiate this research, involving Becker pasein risk of heart disease to follow a healthy lifestyle program for 13 years. “People have the same desire to use statins, and when they do the falling cholesterol levels may be only around 5 percent,” said Becker told Reuters Health.

Then, he decided to do research after seeing many patients who are successful in lowering cholesterol, thanks to the red rice and the consumption of fish oil

With permission from the state of Pennsylvania, Becker and her team randomly selected 74 patients to be involved in the research. Participants divided into two groups, namely those who received medication simvastatin (Zocor) 40 mg per day along with printed information on lifestyle changes and the group treated with three capsules of fish oil plus 600 milligrams of red rice every day with the counseling program for 12 weeks.

LDL cholesterol was recorded decreases to 42.4 percent in the red rice group while 39.6 percent of the simvastatin group. Triglyceride levels showed no change in the group receiving statins, but the red rice group was decreased to 29 percent, Becker and her team estimate this difference may be due to decreased efficacy of fish oil. Participants in these red rice group lost weight recorded an average of 4.7 kilograms, while the statin group only 0.3 pounds.

Angkak is fermented red rice or also known as hong ku. Angkak also often used for treatment and as a spice in Asia for centuries.

According to research, Angkak contains a substance called monacolin-K, which is almost identical to the cholesterol-lowering drugs lovastatin (Mevacor), and several other types monacolins have diyakni also avail as anti-cholesterol.

Becker added, if there is other research that supports the results of his research, these findings might offer an alternative for patients who have high cholesterol levels but do not want to take statins or can not menolerasi drugs.

However, he added, patients who have heart disease should be sentenced to fixed taking statins because these drugs have been shown to decrease mortality.

Becker was also warned to not consume Angkak vain. The results of an analysis of ConsumerLab found that Angkak products vary in terms of potential, and some of them were contaminated with toxic materials such as citrinin.