The adult dosage of red yeast rice is listed as 1,200mg for the concentrated powder capsules, according to mayoclinic.com, to be taken twice a day by mouth following a meal. They add, however, that the naturally occurring red yeast rice found in China is consumed at a dosage of 14 to 55g per day. Naturalnews.com lists the recommended dosage of supplements as 600 to 1,200mg per day.

On the Other: FDA Warning

Concerned that manufactured red yeast rice supplements contain elevated levels of lovastatin, considered a regulated statin drug, naturalnews.com reports that the Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning against buying the product from several Internet suppliers. The concerns include potential side effects, accidental misuse of lovastatin and wide variations in the amount of lovastatin present in tested products.

Bottom Line

Red yeast rice has been a dietary supplement in Asian countries for centuries, used to assist with gastric problems and blood circulation. However, consumerreports.org warns that supplements manufactured in the United States can either contain too much lovastatin or too little to provide any benefits. They recommend using prescription versions of lovastatin instead.

Source:

MayoClinic.com: Red Yeast Rice

NaturalNews.com: FDA Moves to Shut Down Red Yeast Rice Distributors Online

ConsumerReports.org: Red Yeast Rice Pills for Cholesterol: Dosage is Unreliable

Resource:

National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: Your Guide to Lowering High Blood Pressure

NaturalNews.com: Ten Natural Ways to Reduce Cholesterol and High Blood Pressure

MayoClinic.com: Cholesterol: The Top Five Foods to Lower Your Numbers