Cholesterol is a type of
fat (lipid) made by the body. It is essential for good
health and is found in every cell in the body. However,
a high cholesterol level in the blood (hypercholesterolaemia)
is associated with an increased risk of various problems,
such as coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke.
As a substance, red yeast rice extract has a number of heart-healthy benefits: It seems to help reduce total cholesterol levels, lower levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol, increase levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol, and lower levels of unhealthy fats called triglycerides. It appears to accomplish this by restricting the liver's production of cholesterol. The compound responsible for this effect--mevinolin--is chemically identical to the cholesterol-lowering compound lovastatin.
Plant sterols have a very similar structure to cholesterol. This means that when they are eaten they partially block the uptake of cholesterol from the gastrointestinal tract, thus reducing the cholesterol levels in the blood stream, particularly the more dangerous LDL cholesterol. This benefit has been so thoroughly studied that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows products that contain plant sterols to carry a health claim stating that such products can help reduce the risk of heart disease
