Ask Dr. Weil by Andrew Weil : Red yeast rice extract curbs cholesterol

Published: 03.04.2008 Q Do you believe there is an advantage to using red yeast rice instead of a pharmaceutical statin drug? Are there still side effects to be concerned about? A Of all the natural supplements ... via Arizona Daily Star

[Doctor Rotcod]

Come on people, WAKE UP. The yeast in red yeast rice requires NAD for growth. Red yeast rice, therefore is a source of NICOTINIC ACID which makes NAD. NAD is the hydrogen doner responsible for making 80 percent of energy by oxidation. More NAD means glucose is more thoroughly oxidized into carbon dioxide and hydrogen instead of incompletely oxidized into cholesterol, fat, triglycerides, acids and the stuff that gums up the works. SO! Yeast does NOT lower cholesterol...it simply increases cellular oxidation thereby more fully burning the food you eat rather than an incomplete burn, which is what cholesterol is. GOT IT? If not, go see DOCTOR ROTCOD'S VIDEOS on YOUTUBE. WAS ANYONE AWAKE IN BIOCHEMISTRY 101 OR WHAT!!!:-)

[Doctor Rotcod]

It's about time Lawsuits got filed over Statins. Statin drugs block CoQ10, and without CoQ10 the entire energy-making mechanism is BUSTED! Also, blocking the cholesterol enzyme is STUPID. Cholesterol is incompletely-oxidized glucose (two coenzyme-A molecules join to make cholesterol instead of burning up in the citric acid cycle to make energy in the form of ATP). So, blocking the enzyme that converts acetyl CoA into cholesterol means that acetyl CoA just goes on to bind with glycerol to make triglycerides, or store as fat, or react to make metabolic acids. Statin drugs represent the insanity of the biochemists that came up with the idea in the first place, and the stupidity of the doctors who believed it was a good idea without referring to their Biochemistry 101 textbooks. SEE DOCTOR ROTCOD VIDEOS ON YOU TUBE FOR PLAIN AND SIMPLE EXPLANATIONS THAT A CAVE MAN'S KID CAN UNDERSTAND. WAKE UP PEOPLE!

[Claire]

Dr. Rotcob, your videos have been recommended and are interesting and entertaining. However, I noticed a comment on one where a viewer asked what your credentials were - education, practice, etc., and you provided no answer. It seems you answer other questions, so I believe this is reasonable, and if you refuse to answer, this is telling also.

[Doctor Rotcod]

Claire wrote:

Dr. Rotcob, your videos have been recommended and are interesting and entertaining. However, I noticed a comment on one where a viewer asked what your credentials were - education, practice, etc., and you provided no answer. It seems you answer other questions, so I believe this is reasonable, and if you refuse to answer, this is telling also.

Hi Claire! I'm a medical doctor and wrote to the lady with the question directly. I'll make a note of it at the video in question. You may want to see my web site: DoctoRRotcoD.com and my new video at YouTube entitled: Earth's Tiniest Organisms: The Somatids (Mycoplasma). You'll find a whole lot of questions on cholesterol and health at those two sites. Enjoy...and I'll be glad to answer any questions any time: [e-mail].

[Sergey45]

http://www.cholesterol.medgrip.com

[Clyde]

Doctor Rotcod wrote:

Come on people, WAKE UP. The yeast in red yeast rice requires NAD for growth. Red yeast rice, therefore is a source of NICOTINIC ACID which makes NAD. NAD is the hydrogen doner responsible for making 80 percent of energy by oxidation. More NAD means glucose is more thoroughly oxidized into carbon dioxide and hydrogen instead of incompletely oxidized into cholesterol, fat, triglycerides, acids and the stuff that gums up the works. SO! Yeast does NOT lower cholesterol...it simply increases cellular oxidation thereby more fully burning the food you eat rather than an incomplete burn, which is what cholesterol is. GOT IT? If not, go see DOCTOR ROTCOD'S VIDEOS on YOUTUBE. WAS ANYONE AWAKE IN BIOCHEMISTRY 101 OR WHAT!!!:-)

So, if a person is taking Red Yeast Rice they wouldn't need to take Niacin?

[Doctor Rotcod]

Hi Clyde. The type of yeast in red yeast rice requires NAD (from nicotinic acid) for growth; this is true for most yeast species which are NAD-growth-dependent. So, the question is not whether or not you should take red yeast rice INSTEAD of niacin (since the red yeast rice contains niacin and hence is the very reason it lowers cholesterol like garlic and bran which are also rich in nicotinic acid) but whether or not red yeast rice is the BEST form of niacin. Since niacin as nicotinic acid and NOT nicotinamide is what classical studies demonstrate the body preferentially uses to make NAD which is the molecule responsible for oxidation of 80% of the carbohydrates you eat (incomplete oxidation of carbohydrates yields cholesterol, fat, triglycerides and other metabolic acids which lower the pH of your body and ultimately contribute to degenerative disease), then you want to ensure the niacin supplement you choose is nicotinic acid and NOT nicotinamide, which is what is contained in most B-vitamin supplements. My choice for nicotinic acid is Brewer's Yeast -- which tastes nutty and nice: one tablespoon mixed in tomato juice with breakfast or lunch. This is also an excellent supply of vitamins B1 and B2 as well as chromium -- all key ingredients to maximize oxidation of carbohydrates. See "food oxidized is health optimized" at DoctoRRotcoD.com for more information. Cheers!

[Theresa Delaney]

Dr. Rotcod,

How does a person tell whether one is taking nicotinic acid vs nicotinamide? I am on 500 mg of a prescribed medication named Niaspan. The doctor wants to increase the amount to twice a day and eventually to four times a day. I feel very sleepy, it seems, when I take it and yawn over and over. I take two baby aspirin about 45 min to one hour before taking the Niaspan with dinner, or just after dinner. I also take prescribed 1000 mg of Lovasa, fish oil, vit. B complex, 1000 of vit D, and 200 mg. of Coenzyme Q-10, mostly because I am supposed to be on a statin. I tried one, but it made me loose my balance, amd my head felt terrible, and when I woke up in the morning it did not feel like I had slept as I was exhausted so I stopped taking it. I also take EemergenC 1000 mg with citrus and bioflavanoids, and additionally sometimes as a drink. I am also trying to avoid sugar, white flour and noodles etc., trying to lose weight by walking every day. Am I taking something that would counteract the good I am trying to accomplish, to lower my cholesterol. I have Type A cholesterol, large molecules. My inflammation by CRP is high but going down maybe since I have been on the baby aspirin. My cholesterol was at 439, but down to 306, and that was before Niaspan was added to my regimen. Can you answer my first question and make comments of suggestions that might help me. Sincerely yours.

[Doctor Rotcod]

Hi Theresa,
The following information is more-fully explained at my website DoctoRRotcoD.com and my videos posted on YouTube.com . Niaspan is an extended-release form of nicotinic acid, formulated so as to minimize the negative side effects of niacin such as flushing, itching and vasodilation (dilation of the blood vessels which lowers blood pressure). While no one seems exactly sure what a yawn is, if you think about what a yawn is -- a fast inspiration with an extended expiration -- it seems to be a compensatory mechanism of the body to increase oxygen intake and extend exhalation of carbon dioxide; this may be a result of the vasodilation effects of Niaspan or may be due to the fact that you are yet deficient in the various nutrients which are necessary to keep the electron transport chain (oxidation of food process) moving forward...as oxygen is the final receptor of this process. Let's review what happens to the food you eat and how it is oxidized and why you need more than just nicotinic acid to keep the process moving forward, so that incompletely-burned food such as cholesterol does not build up:
The main type of food your cells use to make energy is CARBOHYDRATES (grains, fruit and vegetables) which is all converted in the liver into a simple sugar called GLUCOSE.
Glucose is broken down or oxidized in sequential reactions, each of which generates HYDROGEN atoms which are the energy-source of your cells to make ATP. ATP is the "gas" that comes from glucose that every cell in your body uses to release energy to perform whatever function that cell has to perform. Heart and muscle cells use ATP to contract, pancreas cells use ATP to make enzymes and the cells that line your intestines use ATP to absorb nutrients. Got the picture?
To oxidize hydrogen from the carbs you eat, you need HEAPS of vitamins B1, B2, B3 and B5 in your diet. All of these vitamins are water soluble and extremely sensitive to heating, freezing, cooking, milling, pH-adjustment and microwaving. The reason processed sugar "gums up the works" of oxidation in your cells is because there are NO VITAMINS in sugar (doctors who tell their patients not to eat fruit because it is high in sugar only demonstrate that they fail to understand the relationship between vitamins and oxidation of food).
With insufficient amounts of these vitamins, glucose is INCOMPLETELY OXIDIZED into various substances other than hydrogen such as: CHOLESTEROL, triglycerides, fat and metabolic acids such as ketone bodies and lactic acid.
Did you get that? CHOLESTEROL IS NOTHING MORE THAN INCOMPLETELY OXIDIZED CARBOHYDRATES.
So, since B1, B2, B3, B5 and zine, magnesium and chromium are all required nutrients to completely oxidize carbohydrates, I recommend Brewer's yeast as a supplement rather than just nicotinic acid alone (such as Niaspan). If you go through the eight short pages at DoctoRRotcoD.com , you'll find four simple supplements to take that will help to completely oxidize the food you eat...and when that happens, your cholesterol should return to normal.
Final thought: If you have a reddened nose and cheeks that are sun-sensitive this is a sign of niacin deficiency. This will improve as you learn to properly replace niacin and the other needed nutrients to properly oxidize carbohydrates into your diet.
I do not recommend Niaspan or any drug. The form of niacin you need, nicotinic acid, is much more bioavailable (readily absorbed through the small intestines) in Brewer's yeast. Most people can take Brewer's yeast without any side effects. Brewer's yeast is a natural form of nicotinic acid, as well as many other nutrients, as most yeasts such as those used to make beer, require nicotinic acid for growth. Don't worry about getting a "yeast infection" with his nutty-tasting food; the yeast is "dead".
Cheers!

[Theresa Delaney]

Well Cheers to you! Thank you so much for the above information. I can understand what you have provided and feel that it will help me. Yes, I will go on your website and read your other information.

You are amazing and I really appreciate that you took the time to write back and provide so much information. I will have to print it out and read it again, and probably again.

Thank you so much.

Theresa

[Doctor Rotcod]

You're very welcome...glad you found the reply!:-)

[DPH]

So continuing Threesa discussion, how do you compare 1 talbespoon of Brewer's Yeast to the 500mg of B3 Niacin. Isn't she getting significantly more B3 in the 500mg tablet?

[ann]

i just took my first tablet of cholesterol lowering drug,pravastatin sodium. my total, hdl, ldl, are all high. family history of heart disease and stroke. i plan to try this drug for 3 months. my question is what can i use in conjunction with this and possibly discontinue the statin? i am 58, female, only slightly overweight, eat a fairly healthy diet but plan to be more diligent in staying away from white foods.
thank you!

[airwreck]

Hi,
A little over 2 years ago I started getting this soreness (cramping) in both of my legs. The pain is in the main muscles in the top front and back, and the back of the calves. Since I am a very active person (drumming, bicycling, climbing mountains) I figured that it was just soreness and it would go away. Well after about 6 months of chronic cramping and muscles that feel unusually tight and hard in the legs, I started to get concerned. Here it is, 2 years later and nothing has changed despite the fact that I have been to numerous doctors of different types. I saw an acupuncturist about a year ago and I had a bad reaction. They had needles all over me. When they inserted the needles it felt like they were trying to put them in blocks of wood because my muscles are so tense. I went to move my body a bit and I had like a short-circuit and couldn't move my whole body.
I have been doing alot of research on this type of problem and have been trying many things. I have a bad reaction to breads, and alcohol..yeast??(haven't drank for over 20 years) but I just recently cut out all breads and milk. I am taking alot of vitamin c. Many other vitamins too, including Magnesium. I have been on Lugols solution (iodine/potassium) for a couple of months. to see if that helps. Grapefruitseed extract, Chlorella, lots of garlic. Unfortunately, it seems that nothing in this regimen is helping my problem. I want to try that MMS stuff soon.
I need to mention also that at the moment, I live in Mexico, but I will be moving back to the states soon. I had x-rays done here and there are a few obvious problems with my back. One Dr. suggested that I get an MRI done of my lumbar area, so they can see more of what's going on, but that was before the muscle cramps started in my arms, so at this point,
Thank You
Since I have written this letter, I have changed many things (most are listed above), but this problem will just not go away. I must point out that the muscle cramps in my legs are really chronic and painful. The pain has been constant for 2 years and is not getting better. This worries me, because I wonder if the muscles are permanently damaged?? I also have had a bunch of lab tests done and one doctor said that after eating, much sugar is a bit low. I did a little investigating on low energy and metabolizing sugars and many suggest Brewers yeast..but I think I’m allergic to yeast since I have a reaction to breads and a Serious bad reaction to alcohol. So, what to do?? What else should I take to get those B2’s and B3’s?? BTW, I don’t drink coffee, sodas, and of course..no alcohol.
I will add this list of symptoms, starting with the ones that I feel are more serious and persistent…
Severe muscle cramps in legs and now in arms.(over 2 years..every minute of every day)
Zero energy at all times (I always feel like when I have the flu or cold)
Lymph nodes under my arms are swollen (have been for over 10 years, doctors always said it’s nothing to worry about..that doesn’t sound right to me!!)
Really cold hands and feet all the time
Out of breath feeling all the time
Can’t gain weight
Can’t sleep well, because of uncomfortable body and pains..have trouble turning off my mind also…no matter how tired I am.
Eyes real sensitive to light
Slight acne problem (I’m 47 years old!)
I sincerely thank all who try to help ( i had to cut alot off of this message because too many words)