Cardio Results
Changes Health   |   About Us   |   Join   |   Products   |   Reviews   |   Testimonies   |   Links
Cardio Results
By Bob Lefavi, PhD, CSCS, CHES
Chairman, Changes Science Advisory Board
Ever wonder why heart disease in Asia is so low? One reason in general may be the use of rice as a dietary staple. In particular, red yeast rice the product of fermented rice by the fungus Monascus purpureus may be a hint to the low incidence of heart disease in Asia.

Care to see if red yeast rice can have the same effects in your life? Well now you can, thanks to Cardio Results"!, part of the new CardioCare line from Changes. Cardio Results is designed to support a healthy blood lipid profile. A healthy blood lipid profile means lower cholesterol levels, and subsequently, a lower risk of coronary heart disease.
Red yeast rice, reportedly first used more than 2800 years ago in China as a food preservative and food coloring agent, actually dates back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), when it was reported to improve blood circulation. Since then, its consumption has remained high in both Japan and China. Today, the use of red yeast rice in the U.S. is predominantly centered in Asian American communities.

Not surprisingly, red yeast rice has been shown to lower cholesterol levels in animals. In a study on rabbits, red yeast rice extract lowered cholesterol by 44-59%. More recently, studies from China have demonstrated that red yeast rice can reduce total cholesterol in humans by roughly 20%. Likewise, in a recent study conducted at UCLA, Heber and colleagues found very interesting results about red yeast rice' s ability to lower cholesterol. All subjects were put on a low-fat diet (less than 30% of calories from fat) and either given a placebo or red yeast rice extract. Each subject had a lipid profile performed at the beginning of the study and again at weeks 8, 9, 11, and 12.

At the end of eight weeks, subjects were asked to detail their diet using a questionnaire. There was no significant difference in dietary intake between the treatment and placebo groups. Additionally, there was no significant difference in liver function in any of the groups for the duration of the study. However, the total cholesterol of the red yeast rice group decreased 18% over eight weeks, while the total cholesterol of the placebo group did not significantly change surprised the researchers.

In addition, while HDL levels did not change in either group, LDL concentrations dropped 23% in the red yeast rice group. Likewise, serum levels of triacylglycerols decreased 12% in the treated group. Neither LDL levels, nor triacylglycerols concentrations were significantly changed in the control group. This study illustrates the powerful application of red yeast rice in improving blood lipid profiles in subjects with high blood cholesterol. Cardio Results, the new red yeast rice supplement from Changes International, is designed to help you lower your cholesterol without drugs. Cardio Results also contains soy phytosterols, folate, vitamins B6 and B12, all of which are proven to assist in maintaining healthy blood cholesterol levels.

Nutritional questions regarding Changes products can be submitted to [email protected].