Red Yeast Rice supplement for lowering cholesterol
Red Yeast Rice is a modern oriental medicine. It is obtained through fermentation of red rice. Monascus purpureus is a species of mold that is purplish red in colour.
Those who like baking will surely keep up with the current trend of red velvet baked goods.
In the food technology aspect, Red Yeast Rice is used as a natural food preservative, flavour enhancer and food colouring. Sauces, meat processing, makgeoli, red bean curd, pickled vegetables and baked goods use Red Yeast Rice as natural food coloring.
Traditionally, Red Yeast Rice has been used to treat indigestion and diarrhea, for this article, our main focus will be the pharmacology of Red Yeast Rice.
Many journals on Red Yeast Rice (RYR) as statin replacer has been published. Red Yeast Rice contain various monacolins that inhibit hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme (HMG-CoA) reductase, a rate limiting step in cholesterol synthesis. The lipid-regulating effect of Red Yeast Rice depend on the concentration of monacolin. Thus, its anti-hypertensive and anti-hyperlipidemic activity has been studied extensively. For hyperlipidemic patients not receiving standard treatment for reasons like refuse to take statin, statin intolerant, or opt for naturopathic pathway over drug therapy. Monascus purpureus, the species of mold in Red Yeast Rice has same chemical structure as lovastatin. But it also contain other active metabolites such as unsaturated fatty acids and phytosterol. It can reduce serum cholesterol.
Individuals who experienced statin intolerance, also known as statin-associated myalgia (SAM), 89% have shown similar decrease in low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), in subjects taking 2.4g/day of Red Yeast Rice.
Studies have shown a decrease in low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), ranging from 21% to 30.2%, in subjects taking Red Yeast Rice, ranging from 1.2g/day to 2.4g/day.
Studies also have shown that Red Yeast Rice has been more effective as compared to lovastatin or other statin in lowering cholesterol.
Other pharmacology action of Red Yeast Rice include anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, anticancer, MAO-inhibitors, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-Alzheimer and anti-osteoporosis.
Thus clinical trials using patients with different medical history such as hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer, non-alcoholic fatty liver, fatigue and memory loss has been carried out.
Red Yeast Rice supplement us available on Nutrix Foods eshop: https://nutrixfoods.my/product/red-yeast-rice-tablet/
