Red yeast rice
Monascus purpureus · 红曲
Supplements. Chinese Medicine and Modern nutrition.
Also called Red koji, Hong qu, Monascus
Pinyin: hóng qū
Spanish: Arroz de levadura roja
Contains a natural statinRice fermented with a red mold, used in Chinese cooking and sold as a supplement that contains a natural statin.
Did you know? Red yeast rice gets its color from the Monascus mold, and that mold makes a compound identical to the statin lovastatin.
What it may help, and how strong the proof is
- Cholesterol. Several trials of standardized products with monacolin K (the same molecule as lovastatin) show lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. Store products vary widely in how much monacolin K they contain, and some contain none.Good proof
- Digestion & gut health. Used in Chinese food and medicine to aid digestion. Modern trials on digestion are few.Traditional proof
Parts of the body
Traditional use
Chinese cooks and healers have used red yeast rice (hong qu) for centuries to color food and to aid digestion and blood flow. The supplement form is a modern product.
How it is classified
- Herbal actions
- Circulatory, Carminative. Energy: warming.
- Chinese medicine
- 红曲 Relieve food stagnation. Nature: warm. Flavour: sweet. Enters the Spleen and Stomach channels.
How people take it
Doses depend on the monacolin K content, which varies widely. Trials used measured products, so a dose from an unlabeled product is a guess.
Capsule, powder and food.
Where to get it
Grown by culturing the Monascus mold on cooked rice, and used as a food coloring in Asian cooking. Capsules are sold in health stores and online, and quality varies widely.
Be careful
The statin-like compound can cause muscle pain, weakness and liver problems, and it should not be combined with statin drugs. Some products contain citrinin, a mold toxin that can harm the kidneys. Avoid it in pregnancy, breastfeeding, and with liver or kidney disease; grapefruit and alcohol raise risks too.
Avoid if: pregnancy; breastfeeding; liver disease; kidney disease.
Mixing with other things
- Don't mixStatins (Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor)
Contains a lovastatin-like compound. Do not combine with statin drugs, since the risk of muscle damage rises.
- Use caution
Grapefruit raises lovastatin levels, and this compound is the same molecule. Avoid large amounts.
- Use cautionAlcohol (beer, wine, spirits)
Alcohol adds stress to the liver, which statin-like compounds also affect.
The honest take
Red yeast rice works like a statin, and some trials show lower LDL, but products vary enormously in content. Some have no detectable monacolin K, and some carry citrinin, a kidney toxin. Use it only with a doctor's guidance, and never on top of a statin.