Organic Plant-based Cholesterol Formula

Six-dimension breakdown

Why this scored 38/100

VeggieVerve (Livingston Naturals sub-line) 'Organic Plant-based Cholesterol Formula' is an 18+ herb liquid tincture with Bergamot, Red Yeast Rice, Hawthorn, Olive Leaf, Pine Tree, Artichoke, Garlic, Arjuna, Rooibos, Flaxseed, Ginger, Fenugreek, Fennel, Pumpkin Seed, Sunflower Seed, Turmeric, Black Pepper, and Stevia. Two serious concerns. First, cholesterol lowering is a disease claim (hypercholesterolemia is a diagnosed medical condition) that FDA has repeatedly issued warning letters over for supplement brands. Second, red yeast rice contains monacolin K — the same molecule as prescription lovastatin — and unregulated red yeast rice supplements have documented cases of muscle toxicity, liver injury, and unpredictable dose (Cohen 2017 tested commercial red yeast rice products and found monacolin K content ranging from 0 to 10.9 mg per capsule — a 100x variance). FDA warns unregulated red yeast rice can cross into unapproved-drug territory. Turmeric alongside garlic and ginger creates real bleeding-risk potentiation for users on anticoagulants. Autofails on unverified_medical_claim (cholesterol treatment) and safety_concern (red yeast rice regulatory status + anticoagulant interactions).

Evidence & sources

The Vyvata score's Evidence dimension measures the quality of published RCT support for a product's active ingredients at the label dose. Our source hierarchy: double-blind RCTs in MEDLINE-indexed journals > single-blind RCTs > open-label trials > observational studies > mechanism papers > N=1 case studies (anecdotes). Predatory journals and manufacturer-authored studies without independent replication are weighted down.

Product-specific evidence citations for this item are embedded in the analysis text on the "Analysis" tab. For the full framework and evidence hierarchy, see the methodology page.

How to read the Evidence dimension

• 80–100: Multiple double-blind RCTs in indexed journals directly testing this product OR the exact ingredients at the exact dose.
• 60–79: Single double-blind RCT + supporting ingredient literature at the studied dose.
• 40–59: Open-label trials + ingredient literature; no product-specific double-blind evidence.
• 20–39: Ingredient literature only; no product-specific trials or trials in predatory venues.
• 0–19: No credible evidence base or unverifiable claims.

FAQ data has not been generated for this product yet. See the site FAQ for general questions.

Customer reviews

All the data we have on this product

Every VSF-related metafield surfaced verbatim. Nothing hidden. If you spot data that looks wrong, let us know.

VSF score

38 / 100

Tier

Rejected

Category

Supplements

Subcategory

cardiovascular heart

Last scored

August 30, 2026

Third-party certifications

None on record at time of scoring

Vendor

VeggieVerve

Tags

Shopify Collective, VeggieVerve

Every score is set from the published rubric, audit-logged, and rescored whenever new evidence emerges (published trials, updated labels, third-party testing releases). Every vendor is scored on the same criteria — no pay-to-play. See our editorial-independence disclosure for the full policy, including brands with an editorial relationship to this site.