There are some general warnings that people should be aware of before if they take the red yeast rice supplement.
- Women who are pregnant, planning on getting pregnant or breast feeding should consult with a doctor before taking the supplement.
- If you are allergic to any medication you should consult a doctor.
- if you have health problems such as liver or kidney problems or you have high blood pressure or a history of blood or heart vessel disease, then you should not take red yeast rice.
- The red yeast rice supplement should be used as stated. Never use it other than what is indicated on the labels.
- Do not combine different red yeast rice supplements, as there is the possibility that it can lead to an overdose.
- The supplement should be kept away from heat, light and moisture.
- To reduce the possibility of an upset stomach, red yeast rice should be taken with food.
Other Warnings
There are other warnings as it relates to the use of red yeast rice. People who have conditions as those listed below should not use red yeast rice.
- Kidney disease
- Serious health problems
- Asthma
- Recent surgery
Red yeast rice is known as a product that is used to lower cholesterol levels. There are some medications that cause muscle tissue damage and also kidney failure. People who take the supplement should seek a doctor if they have dark urine, muscle tenderness and pain, or flu or fever symptoms. As stated above you should not take red yeast rice if you are pregnant or plan to get pregnant. The reason for this is that red yeast rice might be very harmful to the unborn baby. There is no research to show if red yeast rice can be passed into breast milk.
Red Yeast Rice Potential Dangers
There is a possibility that the red yeast extract is unsafe it is used for periods longer than directed. There is a possibility of health problems related to mycotoxin citrinin, a part of the Monascus yeast.
FDA Warning and Red Yeast Rice
The FDA has issued a warning to the public against buying or consuming three red yeast rice products sold on the internet. The reason for this move was stated that “The products may contain an unauthorized drug that could be harmful to health. The products are promoted as dietary supplements for treating high cholesterol.”
The warning was targeted to specific companies that carried red yeast rice products. They were Swanson Healthcare, Kabco , Nature’s Value and Sunburst Biorganics. The reason they singled out these companies because their products, red yeast rice, because they possibly contained lovastatin. Lovastatin causes severe muscle problems and could possibly lead to kidney failure. This drug can also have some bad interactions with other medications.
The FDA had issue with the companies claiming that red yeast rice products were able to prevent, cure and treat certain diseases. Under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, companies are not allowed to make those claims.