Supplements of fish oil and red yeast rice, coupled with lifestyle changes in diet and exercise habits, can reduce cholesterol as much as standard cholesterol-lowering medications known as statins, according to a new study.
Becker and his colleagues studied 74 people with high cholesterol. Half took the statin drug Zocor and the other half took fish oil and red yeast rice supplements. They were followed for 12 weeks.
"We followed them for a three-month period," Becker says. At the study's end, the levels of bad cholesterol had declined nearly the same amount in both groups. "The LDL declined 42% in the supplement group and 39% in the Zocor group," Becker says.
Red yeast rice sold in the U.S. typically comes in 600 milligram to 1,200 milligram doses, with recommendations of taking no more than 2,400 milligrams (2.4 grams) a day, the lower dose used in the study.

Source: WebMD - Kathleen Doheny