Red Yeast Rice Study Shows Promise for Dyslipidemia

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There is hope for those that have elevated cholesterol but can not take statins because of pain. A recently published study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, June 16, 2009 issue found red yeast rice and a therapeutic lifestyle change to significantly lower LDL-cholesterol levels in patients that are intolerant to statins. The Chinese have been using red yeast rice for centuries to treat blood circulation, gastric issues, spleen and stomach health. The yeast, Monascus purpureus, grows on rice and produces monacolins which collectively give us red yeast rice. The monacolin you may be familiar with is lovastatin, Mevacor, produced by Merck & Co. Lovastatin comes from “monacolin K” which is a powerful inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase.

The lead investigator Dr. Becker started studying red yeast rice after several of his patients switched to red yeast rice and stopped taking their statins due to mucsle pain. The patients did not suffer adverse effects to their lipid profiles. Dr. Becker designed a study with 62 patients with dyslipidemia and a history of stopping statin therapy due to myalgias (muscle pain). The patients were randomized to receive 1800 mg of red yeast rice or placebo twice daily for 24 weeks. All patients were enrolled in a 12-week therapeutic lifestyle-change program that included eating a Mediterranean-based diet, an exercise program, and relaxation techniques.

Following 12 weeks of treatment, LDL- and total-cholesterol levels were significantly lower in the red-yeast-rice group when compared with the placebo-treated patients. HDL-cholesterol levels were unchanged with treatment, and triglyceride levels were not significantly different between treatments. LDL- and HDL-cholesterol levels increased slightly from weeks 12 to 24, the investigators attribute this because the lifestyle intervention program ended and adherence to therapy declined.

Dr. Becker mentioned the daily amount of red yeast rice in the study amounted to 6 mg of lovastatin. The normal does of lovastatin is 20 mg to 40 mg. Dr. Becker said the benefit of the red yeast rice goes beyond the “monacolin K” contained and its effectiveness may also be from the numerous other monacolins. All the monacolins in red yeast rice might work to lower LDL-cholesterol levels without causing recurrent muscle pain. Further research is necessary, but red yeast rice may be a good alternative to traditional statin therapies.

There are two things you need to do before you run out and buy red yeast rice. First, talk with your physician especially if you are already on a statin because these two should not be combined without your doctor’s supervision. Second, you get what you pay for…check consumerlab.com and you will find that there is a huge quality disparity between brands. Your local health food store will be able to help you pick a quality brand.

Asian Ginseng vs. American Ginseng: Is there a difference?

Image by Peter Garnhum via Flickr

What is ginseng you ask?

Only the most widely used herb in Asia. Following Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) one is the Yang and one is the Yin. This small perennial plant belongs to the Araliaceae botanical family and loves hardwood forests being found in the American Northwest as well as Northeastern China and Korea. The genus name of the ginseng herb (both the Asian and American versions) is panax, which comes from the Greek word meaning “universal remedy or cure all”. Panax ginseng, the scientific name for the Asian variety, is given the Yang or hot designation in TCM. While American ginseng or panax quinquefolium L. is on the other end of the “Qi” spectrum by nourshing Yin, cooling. TCM looks at the body as a set of interconnected systems and so the hot/cold label refers to how the herb impacts a particular body system. The ginseng root resembles a parsnip and is the primary portion consumed.

What does ginseng do?

The list of health benefits attributed to consuming ginseng root would fill pages…some benefits have scientific merit and some don’t. Ginseng is taken to improve athletic performance, strength and stamina, and as an immuno-stimulant. Some people also take ginseng to treat diabetes, cancer, and AIDS. The medicinal effects are attributed to saponin glycosides also known as ginsenosides. Ginsenosides impact the central nervouse system with both stimulatory and inhibitory effects, alter cardiovascular tone, improves insulin sensitivity, enhance humoral and cellular-dependent immunity, and may inhibit the growth of cancer in vitro.

How are they different?

There is variation in the specific ginsenosides in Asian and American ginseng. However, when you compare the clinical research they are both incredibly similar. I left out the benefits that do not have scientific backing, which unfortunately is where differences between the two varieties appear. That is not to say that ginseng does not help in additional ways, but that the scientific research is questionable.

Talk with a TCM practitioner to determine which variety will benefit you specifically and equally important talk with your physician before incorporating ginseng into your health routine. Ginseng is a wonderful adaptogen, but can interfere with other medications. Follow your healthcare provider’s advice. There are a number of different methods for taking ginseng from powder to pill to tea. Find one that works for you.

Tea Time Anyone?

History of Tea

Tea has been a medical treasure for over five thousand years. The legend starts in an ancient Chinese Medical text from 2737 B.C. praising tea as a health tonic. According to the story a gifted emperor, Shen Nung, put in place far-sighted edicts revolving around hygiene, including boiling drinking water. One summer day while visiting a distant region of his realm, he and the court stopped to rest. In accordance with his ruling, the servants began to boil water for the court to drink. Dried leaves from the near by bush fell into the boiling water, and a brown liquid was infused into the water. As a scientist, the Emperor was interested in the new liquid, drank some, and found it very refreshing. And so, according to legend, tea was created. The first definitive book on tea was by the Chinese tea master Lu Yu in 780 A.D. Lu Yu’s work raised him to near sainthood in China and laid the foundation for tea service becoming an art form. The Japanese Buddhist priest Yeisei, saw the value of tea in enhancing religious mediation while in China. This exposure inspired him to take tea seeds to Japan. He is known as the "Father of Tea" in Japan. Because of this early association, tea in Japan has always been associated with Zen Buddhism. Tea received almost instant imperial sponsorship and spread rapidly from the royal court and monasteries to the other sections of Japanese society. This royal sponsorship coupled with growing trade routes became the spring board that catapulted tea’s fame around the world. Fast forward to the end of the 20th century, scientists identified hundreds of beneficial phytonutrients within the tea leaf that were shown to dramatically enhance immune and cardiovascular functioning and prolong healthy life. The benefits associated with the consumption of tea are too many to cover in one post so we will start with the cardio- and nuero-protective benefits.

Cardiovascular Benefit

A number of studies have established a positive correlation between green tea consumption and cardiovascular health. The major polyphonic compound in green, Catechins, provides protection to the vascular system through multiple mechanisms, including anti-oxidative, anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, anti-thrombogenic, and lipid lowering effects. Tea catechins present antioxidant activity by scavenging free radicals and activating antioxidant enzymes. Tea catechins inhibit the key enzymes involved in fat biosynthesis and reduce fat absorption in the intestines, thereby improving the blood lipid profile. Catechins regulate vascular tone by activating endothelial nitric oxide. Catechins prevent vascular inflammation that plays a critical role in the progression of atherosclerotic lesions. Catechins inhibit proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells by interfering with vascular cell growth factors involved in atherogenesis. Catechins suppress platelet adhesion, thereby inhibiting thrombogenesis. Taken together, catechins may be novel plant-derived small molecules for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Neurological Benefit

The amino acid, L-theanine, found almost exclusively in the tea plant, actively alters the attention networks of the brain. It has been proposed that theanine is absorbed by the small intestine and crosses the blood-brain barrier, where it affects the brain's neurotransmitters and increases alpha brain wave activity resulting in a calmer, yet more alert, state of mind. The mechanism for the neuroprotective effect of theanine is related not only to the glutamate receptor but also to other mechanisms such as the glutamate transporter. One of the onset mechanisms for arteriosclerosis, a major factor in ischemic cerebrovascular disease, is probably the oxidative alteration of low-density lipoprotein (LDL). The oxidative alterations of LDL were shown to be prevented by tea catechins. The neuroprotective effects of theanine and catechins contained in green tea are gaining attention, but further research is needed with regards to the amount of theanine needed for benefit. But further research is needed to determine the beneficial amounts of theanine. Look for a product that has Suntheanine’s patented L-theanine extract if you are interested in trying theanine(they have a list of brands containing their extract). Otherwise you will have to consume a ridiculous amount of green tea to replicate the amounts of theanine used in the clinical studies.

Time for Tea!

My favorite tea is the Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearl. I was first introduced to this special green tea by a Chinese exchange student. He did not know the English translation and it took me several years to find it. Since that time it has become quite popular. Now you can even find jasmine pearls at your local Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, but I have to warn you it is expensive. So here is a little history on this particular tea to help justify plunking down $20 for four ounces. This tea enriched with the fragrance of jasmine flowers has been a favorite since the Sung Dynasty ruled China 800 years ago. The jasmine plant was brought to China from Persia before the third century. These flowers first made their appearance in tea around the fifth century. Dragon Phoenix Pearl gets its name from the tea bushes "climbing the hillsides like a Dragon rising from the waters". It is grown in a mountainous, often fog shrouded area near the border of the Fujian and Jiangxi provinces. Dragon Phoenix Pearl is one of the finest jasmines shipped from the port of Foochow. The tea is plucked in April and May and stored until August when the finest jasmine blossoms are in bloom. Night blooming white jasmine flowers are picked in the morning when the tiny petals are tightly closed and kept cool until nightfall. In the early evening the flowers begin to open. Once open, the "mating" of the jasmine and tea leaves takes place in several applications, each taking up to four hours, after which the jasmine petals are removed. Once the petals are removed each leaf and bud set are hand rolled into a tiny pearl size ball. The tea is then wrapped in silk mesh and dried to set the form.

If you are ever in Ohio please stop by and I will share some tea with you!

The Joys of Holy Basil, an Adaptogenic Herb!

There are a number of adaptogenic herbs that I love to use. Adaptogenic herbs help the body to deal with and respond to stress. I choose the herb based on the type of stress as you never know what life is going to throw at you. I primarily use Holy Basil when I am struggling with emotional stress. It is awesome as a tea after a long day. Holy basil (Ocimum sanctum) is the English translation of an herb from India, where it is known as tulsi (Incomparable one in Sanskrit). I have used oil extracts, capsules containing dried tulsi, tincture, brewed tea, and grown my own plants. You can purchase the seeds here if you want to grow tulsi (I have had great luck with the Krishna and Rama varieties). Tulsi is an important herb in Ayurvedic medicine and has significance in the Hindu religion. The “Rasayana” of tulsi gives the human body what it needs for perfect health and aids on the journey to enlightenment. You can see it growing around Hindu temples in India. It looks similar to culinary basil, but has a spicier flavor like cloves.

Tulsi has been suggested to possess the following properties:

• Adaptogenic


• Analgesic


• Antidiabetic


• Anticancer


• Antifertility


• Antifungal and antimicrobial


• Cardioprotective


• Respiratory benefit

Tulsi has been used for thousands of years as a premier healing herb in Ayurveda, but it has only started to gain clinical data in the last few decades to support the benefits. Go to http://www.pubmed.gov/ and search Ocimum Sanctum and you will see that the growing clinical data is supporting the listed above uses. The studies are starting to establish a scientific basis for the therapeutic benefits of tulsi. If you want to get more specific in searching for the benefits of tulsi most of the above properties come from the Eugenol in tulsi, but it also contains uroslic acid, and rosmarinic acid.

I have found great benefit in using holy basil. You won't go wrong adding it to a stress management routine. I have primarily benefited from using holy basil to give me emotional endurance. Go buy some tea and join me in enjoying a cup of fresh brewed tulsi tea!