Red yeast rice is a yeast product that is grown on rice, most commonly produced by fermenting the yeast on uncooked whole rice kernels. Red is a food staple in China, Japan and in Asian communities in the United States and Canada. It contains substances called monacolins, thought to lower blood lipids, both cholesterol and triglycerides.
History
Red yeast rice has been used in China since the Tang Dynasty, around 800 A.D. It is discussed in an ancient Chinese medicinal text titled "Ben Cao Gang Mu-Dan Shi Bu Yi," published during the Ming Dynasty, as a medication for indigestion, diarrhea, circulation and for the promotion of spleen and stomach health.
Uses
Red yeast rice is used as a medication for lowering cholesterol, but is also used as a food preservative, food coloring, spice and red wine additive. It is the reason why Peking duck is red. The average Asian consumes between 14 and 55 grams of red yeast rice per day.
Types
There are three forms of red yeast rice: Zjhitai, Cholestin and Xuezhikang. Zhitai is fermented whole grain rice, but contains very little yeast. Cholestin is fermented rice with high levels of monacolin K, the monacolin responsible for lowering cholesterol. Cholestin is the form of red yeast rice found in cholesterol lowering medications sold over the counter. Xuezhikang is rice and yeast mixed with alcohol and processed to remove the gluten. Xuezhikang is 40 percent more likely to reduce cholesterol then Cholestin.
Research
In a twelve week double blind placebo controlled study conducted at UCLA and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers found that red yeast rice reduced the levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. There was no effect on HDL cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is referred to as bad cholesterol, and is responsible for causing atherosclerosis that leads to heart attacks. Due to the longevity of recorded human consumption, red yeast rice is thought safe for long-term human consumption, but this has not been scientifically proven. Studies are currently underway on animals to determine the effects of long-term consumption.
Considerations
It is illegal to sell red yeast rice in the United States because it contains levels of cholesterol lowering substances thought unsafe by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA does not monitor the production of red yeast rice. High levels of cholesterol lowering substances are associated with the breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue and can lead to kidney and knee problems. Red yeast rice is in violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, which regulates the safety and labeling of products sold in the United States with the exception of meat.
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