Can You Take Fo-Ti (He Shou Wu) and Red Yeast Rice Together?

Use extra care with this pair

The short answer

Both Fo-Ti and Red Yeast Rice have hepatotoxic potential. Fo-Ti's anthraquinones cause idiosyncratic liver damage, while Red Yeast Rice's monacolin K carries statin-class hepatotoxicity risk. This combination compounds liver injury risk.

How to arrange timing

Avoid concurrent use. If using Red Yeast Rice for cholesterol, do not combine with Fo-Ti. Regular liver enzyme monitoring is recommended for either supplement.

Reference

Reference noted for this combination: Lei X et al., J Ethnopharmacol 2015; Björnsson ES, Clin Liver Dis 2017; LiverTox (NIH/NLM)

Important context

Whether supplements suit you together also depends on dose, product formulation, health conditions, and medication use. Ask a doctor or pharmacist first if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a chronic condition.