Subject: FACTS: Milled Rice Fermented with Red Yeast

Loved your book ! I've recommended it to family, friends and colleagues. For my father, I've been researching the Red Yeast Rice for lowering cholestrol. Recently, there has been an FDA warning that some of these brands (e.g. Cholestrix) are illegally laced with lovastatin. In case you hadn't read it already, I'd like to share the links. Of course, a medical malpractice law firm is promoting the news. Was very excited to read an introduction to Red Yeast Rice in your book. Now regretfully, I don't know who to believe: Red Yeast Rice manufacturers, the FDA, or the lawyers? No wonder it is so confusing to keep healthy ! Here's the FDA warning: FDA News FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 9, 2007 Media Inquiries: Catherine McDermott, 301-827-6242 Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA FDA Warns Consumers to Avoid Red Yeast Rice Products Promoted on Internet as Treatments for High Cholesterol Products found to contain unauthorized drug The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to buy or eat three red yeast rice products promoted and sold on Web sites. The products may contain an unauthorized drug that could be harmful to health. The products are promoted as dietary supplements for treating high cholesterol. The potentially harmful products are: Red Yeast Rice and Red Yeast Rice/Policosonal Complex, sold by Swanson Healthcare Products, Inc. and manufactured by Nature’s Value Inc. and Kabco Inc., respectively; and Cholestrix, sold by Sunburst Biorganics. FDA testing revealed the products contain lovastatin, the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Mevacor, a prescription drug approved for marketing in the United States as a treatment for high cholesterol. “This risk is even more serious because consumers may not know the side effects associated with lovastatin and the fact that it can adversely interact with other medications," said Steven Galson, M.D., M.P.H., director of FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. These red yeast rice products are a threat to health because the possibility exists that lovastatin can cause severe muscle problems leading to kidney impairment. This risk is greater in patients who take higher doses of lovastatin or who take lovastatin and other medicines that increase the risk of muscle adverse reactions. These medicines include the antidepressant nefazodone, certain antibiotics, drugs used to treat fungal infections and HIV infections, and other cholesterol-lowering medications. FDA has issued warning letters advising Swanson and Sunburst Biorganics to stop promoting and selling the products. Companies that do not resolve violations in FDA warning letters risk enforcement actions, such as an injunction against continuing violations and a seizure of illegal products. The FDA warning letters state that the products Red Yeast Rice, Red Yeast Rice/Policosonal Complex, and Cholestrix, sold on the firm’s websites, are unapproved new drugs that are marketed in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The warning letters are available on FDA’s Web site: www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/wlcfm/recentfiles.cfm. FDA advises consumers who use any red yeast rice product to consult their health care provider if they experience problems that may be due to the product. Report adverse events related to these products to MedWatch, the FDA’s voluntary reporting program: www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm; 800-332-1088; Fax: 800-332-0178; and MedWatch, Food and Drug Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD, 20852-9787. Kind regards, Sean

Randall, I also loved your book! I heard a little of your segment on the Oprah channel (which I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!), and that is what sparked me to read your book.

I belong to a mom's group that is pro-natural parenting, so my exposure to that group was the ignition that causes my ears to perk up at the mention of toxic chemicals, processed foods, etc. So hearing you on the Dr. Oz show only furthered my curiousity.

I can't speak enough of the info you write about in the Hundred Year Lie, specifically the apartame info, synthetic vitamins, and a whole host of other info.

I especially like the resources you provide in the back of the book about where we can get the bioaccummulation testing done, as well as books for further reading.

THANKS!!!!

I've already started making changes in the my family's life :)

I live in Australia and am the Publicity Officer for a Support Group for Chemically Sensitive people. We have been fighting for many years to have our media warn the public about the very dangers you have written about in your book but they refuse to take it up for fear of reprisals from the multinational companies. Is there any way you could have Oprah do a TV show on this subject and eventually have it aired in Australia as many thousands of people watch the Oprah Show and believe what they see. The health epidemic in Australia is worsening dramatically and our Health Departments (Federal and State) refuse to acknowledge chemical sensitivity. Therefore there are many of us who cannot go to hospital in safety when necessary and recently we had a friend die prematurely in hospital because the staff refused to not wear perfumes. Do you have any ideas how we can get our message across to government and media please. I haven't read your book but thank you and keep up your wonderful work, congratulations. Barb