Latin name:  Monascus purpureus
Other names: Hong Qu, red rice, red yeast

Red yeast rice is a substance made by fermenting a type of red yeast called Monascus purpureus over rice.

Red yeast rice contains natural substance called Monacolins. Monocolins, especially lovastatin believes that it could turn into the body substance preventing Government coal dihydrofolate reductase, an enzyme which operates, called the production of cholesterol. This way popular statin drugs.


The Controversy and Confusion Over Red Yeast Rice

The controversy began in 1999, shortly after the first clinical studies have shown that RYR explicitly made can reduce cholesterol. Then attention FDA agreed efficiency RYR, with regard to natural form Statins (as Mevacor in sales) contains drug lovastatin. Therefore, FDA decided to RYR was controlled drugs and ordered removed from shelves.

This decision to the FDA originally from Utah District Court repealed in 1999, but in 2000 the Court complaint 10 FDA USA, which can be RYR, adjustable chain. May what RYR remains legally in the United States, but only if sold its manufacturing process measures, to eliminate lovastatin (possibly eliminate their effectiveness).


 Is Red Yeast Rice Safe?

Those raising safety concerns say that since RYR contains natural statins similar in effect to cholesterol lowering drugs, it's logical that it would have the same risks. This argument is not valid because statins in prescription drugs have been chemically altered in a laboratory, whereas the statins in red yeast rice are naturally occurring.