Niacin (Nicotinic Acid) + Red Yeast Rice
Can you take Niacin (Nicotinic Acid) and Red Yeast Rice together?
Avoid high-dose niacin with red yeast rice — in statin trials, adding niacin caused more harm than good.
What to do. Skip high-dose niacin. Small amounts in a multivitamin are fine.
Mechanism
High-dose niacin on top of a statin adds risk, not benefit
Red yeast rice contains lovastatin. In large trials of people on statins, adding 1–3 g/day of nicotinic acid improved cholesterol numbers but didn't cut heart attacks or strokes, and raised the risk of diabetes, gut and brain bleeding, and other side effects.
Evidence: Strong evidence — Randomized trials, meta-analyses or clinical guidance that directly support this specific claim.
Timing
A day with Niacin (Nicotinic Acid) 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
Niacin (Nicotinic Acid)
- Immediate-release nicotinic acid (flushes, but is gentler on the liver than extended-release)
- Nicotinamide doesn't flush, but doesn't improve cholesterol either
Red Yeast Rice
- Label states the monacolin K content
- Third-party tested for citrinin
Related
Other interactions
Vitamin B Complex + Niacin (Nicotinic Acid)
Your B complex already contains niacin
Niacin (Nicotinic Acid) + Nicotinamide Riboside (NR)
Two routes to NAD⁺
Niacin (Nicotinic Acid) + NMN
Two routes to NAD⁺
CoQ10 + Red Yeast Rice
CoQ10 is a common add-on to red yeast rice
Berberine + Red Yeast Rice
Berberine + red yeast rice: a common cholesterol combination
Learn more about Niacin (Nicotinic Acid) and Red Yeast Rice