Berberine + Red Yeast Rice
Can you take Berberine and Red Yeast Rice together?
Yes — they're often combined, and multi-ingredient products containing both have been tested in trials.
What to do. If you use both, have your cholesterol and liver enzymes checked, as you would on a statin. Don't add them to a prescribed statin without your doctor.
Mechanism
Berberine + red yeast rice: a common cholesterol combination
Red yeast rice slows cholesterol production like a statin, while berberine increases LDL clearance through a different route. Trials have used combination products (with policosanol and other ingredients), so the contribution of each is hard to separate.
Evidence: Strong evidence — Randomized trials, meta-analyses or clinical guidance that directly support this specific claim.
- 01Marazzi G et al. Comparison of low-dose statin versus low-dose statin + Armolipid Plus (berberine, red yeast rice, policosanol and others) in high-intensity statin-intolerant patients. Am J Cardiol 2017.
- 02Lan J et al. Meta-analysis of the effect and safety of berberine in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, hyperlipemia and hypertension. J Ethnopharmacol 2015.
Timing
A day with Berberine and Red Yeast Rice
- 08:00
Breakfast
with meal - 19:00
Dinner
with meal
Taking more than these two?
Add the rest of your stack and your medications for a complete check.
Buying guide
What to look for on the label
Berberine
- Berberine HCl, split doses with meals
Red Yeast Rice
- Label states the monacolin K content
- Third-party tested for citrinin
Related
Other interactions
Learn more about Berberine and Red Yeast Rice