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Product Review
Red Yeast Rice Supplements Review
50% of Red Yeast Rice Supplements "NOT APPROVED" in CL Tests
Clinical Update
7/25/2021
Cholestene Update
The FDA recently advised consumers not to use the popular red yeast rice product, Cholestene, based on its testing. We asked the FDA what it actually found in Cholestene. Find out what we learned in the Update to our Red Yeast Rice Review.
CL Answer
My doctor warned me that red yeast rice can cause liver damage - is that true?
Can red yeast rice cause liver damage? More information on its effects, including possible danger to the liver and kidneys.
News Release
2/25/2022
Top-rated Vitamin and Supplement Brands and Merchants for 2022 Based on Consumer Satisfaction
White Plains, New York, February 25, 2022 — Each year, ConsumerLab.com surveys its free e-newsletter subscribers about the vitamins and supplements that they use. The results below are based on 8,049 responses collected in November/December 2021. Respondents gave ratings of hundreds of brands and merchants of which 143 brands and 35 merchants each received at least 90 consumer ratings. Among these popular brands and merchants, those receiving the highest rating on overall consumer satisfaction within their specific market segment are listed below.
News Release
2/25/2021
Top-rated Vitamin and Supplement Brands and Merchants for 2021 Based on Consumer Satisfaction -- Results of the ConsumerLab.com Survey of Vitamin & Supplement Users
White Plains, New York, February 25, 2021 — Each year, ConsumerLab.com surveys its free e-newsletter subscribers about the vitamins and supplements that they use. The results below are based on 9,647 responses collected in November 2020. Respondents gave ratings of hundreds of brands and merchants of which 149 brands and 38 merchants each received at least 90 consumer ratings. Among these popular brands and merchants, those receiving the highest rating on overall consumer satisfaction within their specific market segment are listed below.
News Release
2/25/2019
Top-rated Vitamin and Supplement Brands and Merchants for 2019 Based on Consumer Satisfaction -- Results of the ConsumerLab.com Survey of Vitamin & Supplement Users
White Plains, New York, February 25, 2019 — Each year, ConsumerLab.com surveys its free e-newsletter subscribers about the vitamins and supplements that they use. The results below are based on 10,931 responses collected in late November and early December 2018. Respondents gave ratings of hundreds of brands and merchants of which 145 brands and 45 merchants each received at least 90 consumer ratings. Among these popular brands and merchants, those receiving the highest rating on overall consumer satisfaction within their specific market segment are listed below.
News Release
2/25/2018
Top-rated Vitamin and Supplement Brands and Merchants for 2018 Based on Consumer Satisfaction
White Plains, New York, February 25, 2018 — Each year, ConsumerLab.com surveys its free e-newsletter subscribers about the vitamins and supplements that they use. The results below are based on 11,446 responses collected in late November and early December 2017. Respondents gave ratings of hundreds of brands and merchants of which 141 brands and 48 merchants each received at least 90 consumer ratings. Among these popular brands and merchants, those receiving the highest rating on overall consumer satisfaction within their specific market segment are listed below.
News Release
2/25/2020
Top-rated Vitamin and Supplement Brands and Merchants for 2020 Based on Consumer Satisfaction -- Results of the ConsumerLab.com Survey of Vitamin & Supplement Users
White Plains, New York, February 25, 2020 — Each year, ConsumerLab.com surveys its free e-newsletter subscribers about the vitamins and supplements that they use. The results below are based on 9,782 responses collected in late November and early December 2019. Respondents gave ratings of hundreds of brands and merchants of which 137 brands and 39 merchants each received at least 90 consumer ratings. Among these popular brands and merchants, those receiving the highest rating on overall consumer satisfaction within their specific market segment are listed below.
News Release
5/26/2022
50% of Red Yeast Rice Supplements Fail ConsumerLab Tests
White Plains, New York, May 26, 2022 — Red yeast rice naturally contains cholesterol-lowering lovastatin compounds. However, recent ConsumerLab tests of popular red yeast rice products on the market revealed many did not contain any detectable lovastatin. Even among products that contained lovastatin, most did not contain a daily dosage known to be effective in lowering cholesterol, and several were contaminated with concerning levels of citrinin, a potential kidney toxin.
News Release
8/24/2018
Few Red Yeast Rice Supplements Provide Enough Cholesterol-Lowering Compounds to Likely Be Effective, ConsumerLab Tests Reveal
White Plains, New York, August 24, 2018 — Research shows that red yeast rice, which contains naturally-occurring lovastatin compounds, can lower "bad" LDL cholesterol. However, because amounts of lovastatins are not typically listed on supplement labels, consumers have no way knowing if they are taking an effective dose. Recent ConsumerLab tests of red yeast rice supplements on the market found most did not contain amounts of lovastatins shown to lower cholesterol in clinical trials. Amounts of lovastatins in certain products were also found to have decreased substantially since the same products were tested by ConsumerLab several years ago.
News Release
7/01/2008
Tests of ten red yeast rice supplements by ConsumerLab.com reveal significant statin levels, but some pills contaminated -- Popular cholesterol-lowering supplements compared in new report
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK — JULY 1, 2008 — ConsumerLab.com announced today that its tests of ten red yeast rice supplements revealed levels of cholesterol-lowering statin compounds varying by more than 100-fold, with some supplements providing as much as prescription medication and others containing very little. A potentially toxic contaminant, citrinin, was found in four of the products, with highest levels in a supplement sold by a national pharmacy chain.
CL Answer
What are the side effects of red yeast rice?
Find out which side effects can be caused by red yeast rice supplements that are taken to lower cholesterol levels. ConsumerLab.com's answer explains.
News Release
5/23/2011
Red yeast rice supplements weaker now than in 2008; Wide variation among brands and contamination discovered by ConsumerLab.com -- Popular cholesterol-lowering supplements tested and compared
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK — MAY 23, 2011 — ConsumerLab.com announced today that tests of eleven red yeast rice supplements revealed enormous differences in levels of cholesterol-lowering statin compounds. Statin levels fell dramatically among brands previously tested in 2008. A potentially toxic contaminant, citrinin, was found in four of the products. Results were published online on ConsumerLab.com.
Recalls & Warnings
3/12/2016
FDA Finds Problems at 58% of Supplement Manufacturing Sites in U.S. and Abroad
ConsumerLab.com has obtained results of the FDA's inspections in Fiscal Year 2015 (ending September 30) of 483 dietary supplement manufacturing facilities, showing that most -- 58.2% -- received letters indicating noncompliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs). Manufacturers are required by law to follow cGMPs, but only a small fraction of facilities are inspected by the FDA each year. The results, by manufacturer, are posted on the ConsumerLab.com website (member sign-in required) as well as below and include results for manufacturers in the U.S. and abroad, listed by country. Manufacturers which passed inspection without a citation are designated with an "N" for "No citation" and are highlighted in green, while those receiving a letter of noncompliance, known as a Form FDA 483, are designated with a "Y" for "Yes, citation letter sent" and are highlighted in red. ConsumerLab.com received the results under the Freedom of Information Act. There has been modest improvement in GMP compliance rates in recent years. In FY12, 70 percent of dietary supplement firms inspected received a letter of noncompliance. The figure fell to 65 percent in FY13 and to 62% in FY14. The FDA noted an average of 2.9 infractions at facilities which received notices -- although this is a very significant reduction over last year, when the average was 6 infractions. Although specific infractions found at each facility were not disclosed, the most common infractions, each observed at more than 15% of noncompliant facilities, were:
