Cholesterol-Lowering Supplement -Functional Red Yeast Rice Extract Monascus purpureus

What is Red Yeast Rice?

Red yeast rice, also called Red rice, Red Koji Rice, is made by culturing rice with various strains of the yeast Monascus purpureus. Some preparations of red yeast rice are used in food products in Chinese cuisine, including Peking duck. Others have been made into dietary supplements to lower blood levels of cholesterol and related lipids.  

Functional red yeast rice products contain substances called monacolin K, which is currently the most effective naturally occurring statin. It is able, like most statins, to lower blood cholesterol levels by reducing the production of cholesterol by the liver.

Product Information:

Product Name: Functional Red Yeast Rice Extract, Red Yeast Rice Powder, Red Rice Powder

Appearance: Reddish Brown to Dark Purple Powder

Active Ingredient: Monacolin K

Specifications: Monacolin K 0.4% -5%

Test Method: HPLC

Source: Rice

Is Red Yeast Rice Extract a Drug or a Nutritional Supplement?

Confusingly, the answer is both. One of the most important ingredients in Red Yeast Rice Extracts is monacolin K, which can help to lower cholesterol.

Health Benefits of Functional Red Yeast Rice Extracts

1. Help for High Cholesterol

Red yeast rice supplements are most often taken to naturally lower hyperlipidemia or high cholesterol. The red yeast (Monascus purpureus) used to make red yeast rice has been shown to stop the action of an enzyme in the human body that helps form cholesterol. There have been a lot of studies showing the positive effects of red yeast rice extract on cholesterol.

2. Help for osteoporosis syndrome

The scientist found an element called ergosterol in red yeast rice extracts, which is the precursor of fat-soluble vitamin D2, and then transformed into vitamin D2 under UV radiation. As we all know vitamin D2 can promote absorption of calcium and phosphorus.

3. Help in lowering blood pressure

It’s researched that the element GABA exists in the fermentation broth of red yeast rice, and can help to lower blood pressure.

4. Anti-Cancer and Protect the kidney

Monacolin K can reduce the mitotic index of cancer cell and activity of Na⁺-K⁺-ATP enzyme, and inhibit the growth of cancer cell.

Pharmacological studies have shown that Monacolin K has a significant inhibition of mesangial cell proliferation and extracellular matrix secretion. So it has the function of protecting the kidneys.

Safety of CIMA’s Red Yeast Rice Extracts

- High proportion of acid form Monacolin k, which has less side effect than lactone form. Acid form VS lactone form is 80:20,

- Citrinin free 

- Irradiation Free

- 100% Solid Fermentation, which ensure less bacterial contamination.

Applications of Functional Red Yeast Rice Extracts

- As the additive of dietary supplement and healthcare food to lower cholesterol, also some supplement products also use it to to combine with other ingredients, for example, bone-protecting products combining red yeast rice extracts with organic acid calcium; Menopausal Syndrome treating products combining red yeast rice extracts with plant hormone.

- Medical uses.