CoQ10 + Red Yeast Rice
Can you take CoQ10 and Red Yeast Rice together?
Yes — many people pair them, by analogy with statins.
What to do. Reasonable to combine. Take both with a fat-containing meal.
Mechanism
CoQ10 is a common add-on to red yeast rice
Statins lower the body's own CoQ10 production along with cholesterol. Whether CoQ10 eases statin muscle pain is mixed: one meta-analysis of randomized trials found a benefit, an earlier one did not. Red yeast rice's monacolin K is the statin lovastatin, so the same logic is assumed; it hasn't been tested with red yeast rice specifically.
Evidence: Mechanism-based — Plausible biological mechanism with little direct human outcome data.
- 01Qu H et al. Effects of coenzyme Q10 on statin-induced myopathy: an updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Am Heart Assoc 2018.
- 02Banach M et al. Effects of coenzyme Q10 on statin-induced myopathy: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Mayo Clin Proc 2015.
- 03NIH NCCIH — Red Yeast Rice
Timing
A day with CoQ10 and Red Yeast Rice
- 08:00
Breakfast
with meal
Why this order
- Red Yeast Rice: Breakfast instead of Dinner — pairs it with CoQ10.
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
CoQ10
- Ubiquinol or solubilized ubiquinone in oil softgels
Red Yeast Rice
- Label states the monacolin K content
- Third-party tested for citrinin
Related
Other interactions
Learn more about CoQ10 and Red Yeast Rice