Anniversaries are occasions to celebrate and reflect upon special times in our lives, typically relationships, weddings or work related milestones. But these occasions also occur in the field of medicine. In 1999, research began appearing in medical journals on a culinary substance known as red yeast rice (RYR), a richly pigmented paste or powder that is commonly used to add color to Chinese and East Asian foods. It has also been used in the traditional practice of Chinese medicine for over 1,000 years to support healthy digestion and proper circulation. The reason for the modern Western interest in RYR has to do with its similarity to a relatively new class of cholesterol lowering drugs known as “statins”. Read more »

Many patients and doctors believe that heart disease is a progressive illness. And, to be quite frank, they have good reason to adopt that view. The vast majority of the time, heart disease does, in fact, become more severe with time. And we all know the end result. But that’s what makes the news in today’s blog very exciting. I’m going to share some evidence that shows that heart disease can possibly be halted and even reversed to some extent. Read more »