Does Cholestin contain citrinin?
A. As part of the 6S Process, we ensure that Cholestin is absolutely safe and efficacious. As discussed in the paper below, it is known that if red yeast rice is not fermented under carefully controlled conditions, it can form citrinin, a mycotoxin produced by some yeasts and molds (penicillin, aspergillus). This toxin can cause kidney failure in animals. Pharmanex is aware of this fermentation by-product and we therefore have always analysed Cholestin to ensure that it is citrinin-free (detection limit 1 part per billion). The safety and efficacy of monacolins are well-documented; in addition, the prevalence of side effects with Cholestin have been extremely low (less than 0.0001% of units sold). As further substantiation, Dr. David Heber conducted a related study evaluating nine strains of red yeast rice, which was published in the April 2001 issue of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. The study found that 7 of the 9 preparations contained citrinin, ranging from 0
