red yeast rice and Reduced Low-Density Lipoprotein Level

Research synthesisLow evidenceModerate effect4 studies · 4 beneficial · 0 neutral · 0 harmful

Across 4 studies, all reported beneficial effects of red yeast rice on reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, with a predominantly moderate effect size. The most-studied dose range was 200 mg/day to 200-4800 mg daily (with monacolin K content around 3 mg/day), studied primarily in clinical populations with mild-to-moderate dyslipidemia or hyperlipidemia. The median study duration was 56 days (8 weeks), suggesting effects are typically observed at 8 weeks.

Effective dose range: 200 mg/day (standardized to approximately 3 mg monacolin K) to 4800 mg/day
Studied populations: Adults with mild-to-moderate dyslipidemia or hyperlipidemia without known cardiovascular disease

Caveats: Available evidence is overwhelmingly positive — clinical literature in this area is subject to publication bias (null-result studies are less likely to be published or indexed). Evidence base is small (only 4 studies) — conclusions should be considered preliminary. Three of four studies are reviews or meta-analyses, not original RCTs, and one of the reviews did not specifically isolate red yeast rice's effect from other nutraceuticals. Dosing form (e.g., monacolin K content) varied across studies and was not consistently reported.

Generated Jun 15, 2026

Doses used in studies

mg/day: 3–4,800 (median 200, IQR 101.5–2,500) — 3 studies

Time to effect

Median: 8 weeks · IQR 8 weeks–8 weeks · Range 8 weeks–8 weeks — Reported in 1 of 4 studies

Safety in these studies

Overall tolerabilityReported
RYR at a dose that provides about 3 mg/d of monacolin K is well tolerated, with an adverse event profile similar to that of low-dose statins.
from: Red Yeast Rice for the Improvement of Lipid Profiles in Mild-to-Moderate Hypercholesterole
Overall tolerabilityReported
did not increase the risk of adverse events in patients with hyperlipidemia
from: Red Yeast Rice for Hyperlipidemia: A Meta-Analysis of 15 High-Quality Randomized Controlle
Overall tolerabilityReported
No severe treatment-related adverse effects on muscles, liver, or renal function were observed.
from: Low dose red yeast rice with monacolin K lowers LDL cholesterol and blood pressure in Japa

4 of 4 papers

Low dose red yeast rice with monacolin K lowers LDL cholesterol and blood pressure in Japanese with mild dyslipidemia: A multicenter, randomized trial.
- 2021-09-01
- RCT
- Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition 30(3)
- - Takuya Minamizuka
  - Masaya Koshizaka
  - Mayumi Shoji
  - Masaya Yamaga
  - Aiko Hayashi
  - Kana Ide
  - Shintaro Ide
  - Takumi Kitamoto
  - Kenichi Sakamoto
  - Akiko Hattori
  - Takahiro Ishikawa
  - Junji Kobayashi
  - Yoshiro Maezawa
  - Kazuki Kobayashi
  - Minoru Takemoto
  - Masaru Inagaki
  - Akira Endo
  - Koutaro Yokote
- PubMed: 34587702
- DOI: 10.6133/apjcn.202109_30(3).0009
4 Insights on
- Reduced Low-Density Lipoprotein Level
- High evidence
- Clinical
Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased significantly in the red yeast rice group than in the diet therapy group (median [interquartile range]: control -0.20 [-0.62, 1.19] mmol/L vs. red yeast rice -0.96 [-1.05, -0.34] mmol/L, p=0.030).
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Significant
Yes
Dose
200 mg/day
Red Yeast Rice for the Improvement of Lipid Profiles in Mild-to-Moderate Hypercholesterolemia: A Narrative Review.
- 2023-05-12
- Review
- Nutrients 15(10)
- - Arrigo F G Cicero
  - Federica Fogacci
  - Anca Pantea Stoian
  - Peter P Toth
- PubMed: 37242171
- DOI: 10.3390/nu15102288
2 Insights on
- Reduced Low-Density Lipoprotein Level
- Moderate evidence
- Rigorous Journal
- Clinical
RYR supplementation reduces LDL-C levels by approximately 15-34% versus placebo, with a similar effect to low-dose, first-generation statins in subjects with mild-to-moderate dyslipidemia.
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Significant
Yes
Dose
about 3 mg/d of monacolin K
Red Yeast Rice for Hyperlipidemia: A Meta-Analysis of 15 High-Quality Randomized Controlled Trials.
- 2022-01-17
- Review · n = 12
- Frontiers in pharmacology 12
- - Pengfan Li
  - Qi Wang
  - Kanjun Chen
  - Shihui Zou
  - Shi Shu
  - Chanchan Lu
  - Shiyun Wang
  - Yunqin Jiang
  - Chunxiang Fan
  - Yue Luo
- PubMed: 35111069
- DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.819482
5 Insights on
- Reduced Low-Density Lipoprotein Level
- Low evidence
- Clinical
RYR effectively synergized nutraceutical to further reduce ... LDL-C (MD, -27.91; 95% CI, -36.58 to -19.24; p < 0.00001)
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Large
Significant
Yes
Dose
200-4800 mg daily (combined with nutraceutical)
Nutraceuticals in the Management of Dyslipidemia: Which, When, and for Whom? Could Nutraceuticals Help Low-Risk Individuals with Non-optimal Lipid Levels?
- 2021-08-04
- Review
- Current atherosclerosis reports 23(10)
- - Arrigo F G Cicero
  - Federica Fogacci
  - Anca Pantea Stoian
  - Michal Vrablik
  - Khalid Al Rasadi
  - Maciej Banach
  - Peter P Toth
  - Manfredi Rizzo
- PubMed: 34345932
- DOI: 10.1007/s11883-021-00955-y
1 Insight on
- Reduced Low-Density Lipoprotein Level
- Low evidence
- Clinical
A growing number of meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials supports the effectiveness and tolerability of some lipid-lowering nutraceuticals such as ... green tea
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Significant
Yes

red yeast rice and Reduced Low-Density Lipoprotein Level

Low dose red yeast rice with monacolin K lowers LDL cholesterol and blood pressure in Japanese with mild dyslipidemia: A multicenter, randomized trial.

Red Yeast Rice for the Improvement of Lipid Profiles in Mild-to-Moderate Hypercholesterolemia: A Narrative Review.

Red Yeast Rice for Hyperlipidemia: A Meta-Analysis of 15 High-Quality Randomized Controlled Trials.

Nutraceuticals in the Management of Dyslipidemia: Which, When, and for Whom? Could Nutraceuticals Help Low-Risk Individuals with Non-optimal Lipid Levels?