March 29, 2019
Once again, food supplements have endangered the life of a consumer: a 64-year-old woman had to be hospitalized urgently after taking a dietary supplement based on red yeast rice, supposed to lower cholesterol levels .
Cholesterol: red yeast rice has properties similar to those of statins
Red yeast rice, made from mushrooms fermented with rice, is present in some dietary supplements consumed to lower cholesterol levels because one of its molecules, monacolin, would have properties similar to those of statins, prescribed in case of hypercholesterolemia, and therefore the same risks of adverse effects.
The problem is thatin case of overdose, monacolin may cause liver problems. This is what happened to this 64-year-old American, hospitalized in emergency for acute hepatitis, six weeks after the start of treatment, with a dietary supplement based on red yeast rice, to lower her cholesterol level.
Red yeast rice causes serious liver problems
According to BMJ Case Reports which tells the story, ” a surplus of red yeast rice has the potential to cause serious side effects, such as acute liver damage, which are difficult to anticipate, in part because the concentration of monacolin K in red yeast rice is not regulated “.
The intake of food supplements based on red yeast rice is therefore not to be taken lightly: a risk of hepatotocicity is therefore very real, of which the first symptoms are fatigue, jaundice, darker urine or faintness.
The National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) had moreover, in 2013, warned about these food supplements, and recommends that patients not consume products made from red yeast rice if they are already receiving statin treatment, due to a risk of overdose, or if they are taking other drugs that may interact with statins, including drugs from the fibrate family.
Aurélie Giraud
Read also : Food supplements: how to choose them?
