PlainPill

Red Yeast Rice

Based on 6 first-hand reports and 25 meta-analyses & systematic reviews in the medical literature. Ranked #1473 of 1,974 overall.

9
User score
Mostly negative
0% positive17% mixed17% negative67% unclear

Of reports that state an outcome, 0% are positive.

Clinical research
AStrong research base
25
meta-analyses
68
RCTs
593
papers

What Red Yeast Rice does, according to users

Of the people who reported each effect, the share who said it got better.

No specific effects reported yet.
betterno changeworse

What the research says

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses from PubMed, with their published conclusions.

AStrong research base

3+ meta-analyses or systematic reviews and 10+ randomized controlled trials in humans. The grade measures how much human research exists — read the conclusions below for what it found.

Nutrients · 2024 · Meta-analysis / systematic review
Safety and Efficacy of the Consumption of the Nutraceutical "Red Yeast Rice Extract" for the Reduction of Hypercholesterolemia in Humans: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Conclusion: The consumption of RYR extract by people with hypercholesterolemia was associated with statistically significant reduction in total cholesterol and LDL-C, whereas it was not associated with an increase in life-threatening side effects. Further research on specific subpopulations and outcomes could establish a consensus on determining the clinical benefits and potential risks, if any, of this nutraceutical.

PubMed 38794691 ↗
Biomed Pharmacother · 2020 · Meta-analysis / systematic review
The effect of Berberine on weight loss in order to prevent obesity: A systematic review

Conclusion: In addition, Berberine is found to have a beneficial impact on gene regulation for the absorption of cholesterol at a daily dose of 300 mg in humans, an amelioration on glucose accumulation at 1.0 g daily dose was also observed. For all these reasons, this review gives an important good account of the impact of Berberine in obesity treatment and prevention.

PubMed 32353823 ↗
Pharmacol Res · 2019 · Meta-analysis / systematic review
Safety of red yeast rice supplementation: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Conclusion: Furthermore, increasing daily doses of monacolin K were negatively associated with increasing risk of Non-MuD (slope: -0.10; 95%CI: -0.17, -0.03; two-tailed p < 0.01). Based on our data, RYR use as lipid-lowering dietary supplement seems to be overall tolerable and safe in a large kind of moderately hypercolesterolaemic subjects.

PubMed 30844537 ↗

Dosage people report

As stated by users — not a recommendation. Follow the label or your doctor.

No doses stated in the reports so far.

Reported side effects

How often each side effect came up across all reports.

severe muscle ×1

What users say

Verbatim quotes, shortened only — each links to the original discussion.

“I take red yeast rice, coq10, vitamin d, vitamin c, a probiotic and a multivitamin.”
Source discussion ↗
“I am afraid of the side effects as each brand is different and the details are much more unknown than a statin”
Source discussion ↗
“Outbreaks like the 2024 red-yeast-rice deaths (up to 80 fatalities)”
Source discussion ↗
“Red Yeast Rice - (cholesterol)”
Source discussion ↗
“my doctor (internist) then prescribed red-yeast-rice, which I tried and I got the classic statin reaction of severe muscle pains”
Source discussion ↗
Top discussions (5)

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User data from public discussions; research from PubMed. Information only, not medical advice — talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. Data updated October 2, 2026. How we rate