Red yeast rice.
Red yeast rice is a product of rice on which a particular kind of red yeast has been cultivated. The names of the yeast are monascus purpureus or  monascus ruber. Red yeast rice has been used in China for more than a thousand years either as a food additive or remedy. For instance, it gives flavor and a characteristic orange color in fish and meat. One of the most known dishes of the Chinese cuisine, the Peking duck is a typical example of meat colored and spiced with red yeast rice. Nowadays, the latest is also used worldwide for coloring alcohol beverages and cheese. In China is also used as food preservative and for the production of rice wine.
As a medicine, red yeast rice is taken for treatment of spleen problems, relief from colic in infants, indigestion, diarrhea or hangovers and the enhancement of blood circulation.
Studies have shown that red yeast rice can contribute to prevention of cardiovascular disease by interfering with bad cholesterol synthesis and enhancing the balance in favor of good cholesterol. Monascus purpureus, apart from protein, sterols and fiber, contains a chemical substance known as monacolin K. The latest is an inhibitor of a specific coenzyme which is called HMG-CoA reductase and it promotes the production of cholesterol within the liver. Researchers believe that monacolin K can lower bad cholesterol level by 15%.
Red yeast rice is available in food supplement form and can be taken for preventive purposes, in order an optimum cholesterol level to be maintained. You can try the following
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Side-effects and precautions about red yeast rice.
Red yeast rice may cause moderate side-effects, such as stomach discomfort, bloating, headache and dizziness. Red yeast rice is not recommended for alcoholics and people with liver problems, since it may inflict a negative impact on the function of this organ. Safety in pregnant or breastfeeding women has not been acknowledged yet. Red yeast rice should not be taken by adolescents or children and must not be combined with cholesterol-lowering medications, such as statins, unless a physician's advice has been sought.
The usually recommended dosage for red yeast rice is 600mg taken twice a day. The tolerable upper intake level is 2,400mg/day.
Grapefruit products seem to boost the action of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, in general. Thus, it is recommended for a person using red yeast rice supplementation to avoid such products, in order to prevent any liver damage.
In terms of safety, red yeast supplements are superior to the powder form used in foods since they are free of citrinin, a toxic by-product that occurs during the fermentation process. Citrinin may result in serious kidney and mild liver damage.
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