10.01.14
Clinical studies show that red yeast rice supplements can dramatically lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, however, recent tests by ConsumerLab.com, White Plains, NY, showed that products tested were as much as 500 times stronger than others, despite listing the same amount of red yeast rice on labels. U.S. sales of red yeast rice supplements were $41 million in 2012, according to Nutrition Business Journal.
ConsumerLab.com identified at least three products that provided the amounts of natural, cholesterol-lowering compounds (known as monacolins and lovastatins) proven to lower cholesterol levels in clinical trials. Meanwhile, several other products were found to contain only small amounts of these compounds, making them unlikely to have a significant effect on cholesterol. One popular brand was also discovered to contain citrinin, a potential kidney toxin, according to the report.
Among the eight products covered in the new report, three were the same as those tested in 2011. However, the amounts of lovastatin compounds in these three products were found to be as much as 88% higher to 33% lower than in 2011—suggesting they may now be more, or less, effective, respectively, than before. ConsumerLab.com first tested red yeast rice supplements in 2008. Those results were subsequently published in a peer-reviewed article in Archives of Internal Medicine.
Labels on red yeast rice products generally do not disclose their lovastatin content due to concern that the supplement will be considered an unapproved drug by FDA and removed from the market, since lovastatin is a prescription drug (originally sold as Mevacor). This makes it difficult for consumers and doctors to assess and compare red yeast rice supplements, although they remain widely used and can be effective.
The amounts of lovastatin compounds in products tested by ConsumerLab.com were discovered to range from only 0.05 mg to 25.1 mg per suggested daily serving—a 500-fold difference. In addition to containing lovastatin, red yeast rice contains a variety of other monacolin compounds that may act synergistically to lower LDL cholesterol while minimizing side effects normally associated with statin drugs. In clinical studies, these “other” monacolins account for about 20-25% of the total amount of monacolins. However, these levels were found to be as low as 2% in some of the products ConsumerLab.com tested.
Following up on its discovery in May of high levels of the toxic metal cadmium in several cocoa-based products, ConsumerLab.com, recently tested additional, popular cocoa products sold in the U.S. to assess the extent of the problem. The company reported the issue is now widespread among cocoa powders, involving nearly every brand of cocoa powder tested.
Until now, the food most associated with cadmium contamination has been rice. Cadmium has caused Itai itai (or “Ouch ouch”) disease in Japan and was reported this year at high levels (above 0.2 mcg per gram) in a large proportion of rice samples in the Guangzhou province of China.
ConsumerLab.com found that nearly every popular cocoa powder it recently purchased and tested in the U.S. far exceeded this level, with concentrations in most products ranging from 0.9 to 1.5 mcg per gram. A daily serving of three products also contained more than 1 mcg of lead. Results were confirmed in a second independent laboratory.
“These high concentrations of cadmium are a disturbing surprise,” said Tod Cooperman, MD, president of ConsumerLab.com. “Although disease is very unlikely from the cadmium in just an occasional cup of cocoa, it seems wise to limit exposure to contaminated cocoa.”
Although the U.S. FDA has not established limits on cadmium in supplements and foods, Canada limits daily cadmium exposure from natural health products to approximately 6 mcg for adults and 3 mcg for children. The State of California requires a warning label on products with more than 4.1 mcg. The contaminated products contained 2.8 mcg to 23.7 mcg of cadmium per suggested serving.
ConsumerLab.com identified at least three products that provided the amounts of natural, cholesterol-lowering compounds (known as monacolins and lovastatins) proven to lower cholesterol levels in clinical trials. Meanwhile, several other products were found to contain only small amounts of these compounds, making them unlikely to have a significant effect on cholesterol. One popular brand was also discovered to contain citrinin, a potential kidney toxin, according to the report.
Among the eight products covered in the new report, three were the same as those tested in 2011. However, the amounts of lovastatin compounds in these three products were found to be as much as 88% higher to 33% lower than in 2011—suggesting they may now be more, or less, effective, respectively, than before. ConsumerLab.com first tested red yeast rice supplements in 2008. Those results were subsequently published in a peer-reviewed article in Archives of Internal Medicine.
Labels on red yeast rice products generally do not disclose their lovastatin content due to concern that the supplement will be considered an unapproved drug by FDA and removed from the market, since lovastatin is a prescription drug (originally sold as Mevacor). This makes it difficult for consumers and doctors to assess and compare red yeast rice supplements, although they remain widely used and can be effective.
The amounts of lovastatin compounds in products tested by ConsumerLab.com were discovered to range from only 0.05 mg to 25.1 mg per suggested daily serving—a 500-fold difference. In addition to containing lovastatin, red yeast rice contains a variety of other monacolin compounds that may act synergistically to lower LDL cholesterol while minimizing side effects normally associated with statin drugs. In clinical studies, these “other” monacolins account for about 20-25% of the total amount of monacolins. However, these levels were found to be as low as 2% in some of the products ConsumerLab.com tested.
Following up on its discovery in May of high levels of the toxic metal cadmium in several cocoa-based products, ConsumerLab.com, recently tested additional, popular cocoa products sold in the U.S. to assess the extent of the problem. The company reported the issue is now widespread among cocoa powders, involving nearly every brand of cocoa powder tested.
Until now, the food most associated with cadmium contamination has been rice. Cadmium has caused Itai itai (or “Ouch ouch”) disease in Japan and was reported this year at high levels (above 0.2 mcg per gram) in a large proportion of rice samples in the Guangzhou province of China.
ConsumerLab.com found that nearly every popular cocoa powder it recently purchased and tested in the U.S. far exceeded this level, with concentrations in most products ranging from 0.9 to 1.5 mcg per gram. A daily serving of three products also contained more than 1 mcg of lead. Results were confirmed in a second independent laboratory.
“These high concentrations of cadmium are a disturbing surprise,” said Tod Cooperman, MD, president of ConsumerLab.com. “Although disease is very unlikely from the cadmium in just an occasional cup of cocoa, it seems wise to limit exposure to contaminated cocoa.”
Although the U.S. FDA has not established limits on cadmium in supplements and foods, Canada limits daily cadmium exposure from natural health products to approximately 6 mcg for adults and 3 mcg for children. The State of California requires a warning label on products with more than 4.1 mcg. The contaminated products contained 2.8 mcg to 23.7 mcg of cadmium per suggested serving.