Description

Red Yeast Rice

Red yeast rice extract (RYRE) is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine said to lower cholesterol. Several extracts are marketed as dietary supplements.

Red yeast rice may be attractive because it’s “natural,” but you have to be careful. Experts have not studied it in detail. The ideal dosage and its long-term safety are unknown. It may be dangerous for some people. Also, the composition of various brands of red yeast extract varies widely, making it difficult to make definite statements about its efficacy or safety.

What is Red Yeast Rice

RYRE is rice fermented with a yeast called Monascus purpureus. It has been used as a traditional medicine in China and other Asian countries for centuries.It is also used as a food coloring, additive and preservative.

RYRE naturally contains several ingredients that help control cholesterol levels. These include many monacolins, most notably monacolin K. It also contains sterols, isoflavones, and monounsaturated fats, or healthy fats.

Red Yeast Rice Benefits

• controlling high blood pressure
• being anti-inflammatory
• being hypoglycemic (lowering blood sugar)
• having anti-cancer properties
• being osteogenic (aiding bone formation)

Red Yeast Rice Extract Supplement

Confusingly, the answer is both. One of RYRE’s key ingredients is Monacolin K. It is also known as lovastatin, the active ingredient in the prescription drug Mevacor.

On the one hand, the extract is a traditional remedy that helps lower cholesterol levels.On the other hand, Mevacor’s pharmaceutical company claims it owns the rights to the ingredient lovastatin. This confusion extends to how nutritional supplements are marketed in the United States. Because red yeast extract contains substances classified as prescription drugs, the FDA is requesting that some RYRE products be withdrawn from the market because they contain monacolin K. . The FDA lists the risk of serious muscle problems that lead to kidney disease.

Despite the FDA’s efforts, many people in the United States have successfully obtained similar red yeast extracts from other countries and the Internet.