Red Yeast Rice is also beneficial in improving blood circulation, in aiding digestion, and in treating abdominal pain.

Red Yeast Rice has been clinically investigated in human trials as a therapy for reducing cholesterol. Studies showed that people taking Red Yeast Rice had a significant increase in HDL (good) cholesterol and a decrease in LDL (bad) cholesterol, and triglycerides were also lowered. By lowering cholesterol levels Red Yeast Rice can also help prevent heart disease.

Red Yeast Rice is the fermented product of the rice on which red yeast (Monasus purpureus) has been grown. Red yeast is a natural statin drug. It forms naturally occuring HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors known as monacolins, which lower cholesterol. In fact, monocolin-K (which is also called lovastatin) is the ingredient in the cholesterol medication Mevacor. Red Yeast Rice also contains sterols (beta-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, sapogenin), isoflavones, monounsaturated fatty acids, which also have a cholesterol-lowering effect on the body.

Red Yeast Rice Side Effects

Similarly to a statin drug, Red Yeast Rice effects and can deplete the body of coenzyme Q10. Therefore, after taking Red Yeast Rice, the body’s supply of coenzymes Q10 must be replenished. Consult your healthcare provider regarding the recommended dosage of coenzyme Q10.

Red Yeast Rice contains HMG-CoA (hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA) reductase inhibitors, which are compounds that inhibit and enzymataic reaction necessary to produce cholesterol in the body, especially in the liver. The liver is considered the main site of cholesterol production and is responsible for over 75% of our total cholesterol supply. The liver contains plenty of HMG-CoA reductase and Red Yeast Rice works to inhibit its action, thereby decreasing cholesterol production. Red Yeast Rice Extract is carefully produced to avoid the presence of citrinin, a sometimes toxic by-product of the fermentation process.

One clinical study conducted at the College of Pharmacy of Nihon University in Japan found that Red Yeast Rice pigment, referred to as Monasus pigment, was able to inhibit, through oral administration, the growth of malignant tumors induced in laboratory test mice.

Red Yeast Rice-The Herbal Shopper!