If your health professional says you have hyperlipidemia, this simply means the amount of fat in your blood is higher than it should be. ("Hyper" means high; "lipid" is another word for fat or fat-like substance; "emia" refers to the blood.) Although high cholesterol is the most famous form of hyperlipidemia, blood fats include more than just cholesterol. Triglycerides, phospholipids, and other fatty substances circulate continuously through the bloodstream on their way to and from organs and tissues. Abnormally high levels of cholesterol in the blood can lead to coronary heart disease and other serious conditions, due to build-up of cholesterol-filled plaque in the arteries. But cholesterol by itself is not the problem. Research has shown that abnormalities in the way cholesterol is transported in the blood are the culprits in setting the stage for arteries to become damaged and clogged with plaque. (This is the condition known as "atherosclerosis.")

Red yeast rice is a fungus that grows on starchy foods. It was discovered to be especially useful to the ancient Chinese for making rice wine, used as a food preservative and also was used for its medicinal properties. It is still used today in traditional Chinese medicine and as a food coloring. Until recently, the nutritional and medicinal properties of red yeast rice were not fully appreciated by the Western world. Recent biochemical and pharmacological studies have identified red yeast rice as a beneficial supplement for maintaining a healthy balance of cholesterol and related lipids in the body. Studies have reported red yeast rice effective in lowering LDL and triglycerides while increasing HDL.
Policosanol is a natural mixture of higher aliphatic primary alcohols isolated from sugar cane wax with other sources obtaining policosanol from the wax of honeybees.

Pioneering research in Cuba indicates that policosanol is a natural agent that lowers elevated cholesterol levels without side effects, and it also apparently acts as a mild blood thinner. The cholesterol-lowering effects have been demonstrated in experimental models and in patients with type II hyperlipoproteinemia. A new proprietary product has been developed that is made from beeswax, and is reported to be a more stable form than other products.

A study published in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease evaluated whether some nutraceuticals that are prescribed as lipid-lowering substances are actually safe and effective. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study included 50 people with high cholesterol who were an average age of 55 years. Half of the patients were randomized to receive 6 weeks treatment of a daily oral dose of 500 mg berberine, 200 mg red yeast rice and 10 mg policosanol while the remaining 25 patients received a placebo. In a 4-week open-label extension, all the participants took the combined supplement. The results revealed that at 6 weeks, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol had decreased by 42.92 mg/dl and 39.44 mg/dl more in the intervention group than the placebo group. These changes continued during the extension phase, and additional benefits such as improvements in triglycerides (from 139.05 to 111.60 mg/dl) and insulin sensitivity were also seen with the combined supplement after the final 4 weeks. The researchers also noted that no adverse effects were reported during the course of the trial. It appears that the combination of policosanol, red yeast rice and berberine are a valid approach to reduce lipid levels in patients with a mild-to-moderate increase of cholesterol levels in order to prevent cardiovascular disease, and sor patients with adverse effects or intolerance to statins.¹

¹ Affuso F, Ruvolo A, Micillo F, et al. Effects of a nutraceutical combination (berberine, red yeast rice and policosanols) on lipid levels and endothelial function randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2009.