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RED YEAST RICE
Contributor: Admin
Did you know…?
The use of Red Yeast Rice as a treatment for Colic, Diarrhea, digestive disorders and poor Circulation may be traced back to the Tang Dynasty in China; and throughout Asia, it is an important traditional food. More importantly, however, is its recent introduction in Western society as a supplement that may significantly reduce serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood.
Facts:
• Botanical Names: Monascus purpureus; Monascus ruber
• Family: Mucorales (mostly saprophytic fungi)
• Other common names: Chinese Red Yeast Rice, Red Rice, Fermented Rice, Red Yeast, Anka, Ankak, Hung-Chu, Hongu
Conditions:
Red Yeast Rice may significantly lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels in the blood. In one clinical trial, including 502 patients with hyperlipidemia, there was a 17% reduction of total cholesterol in the treated group. Low-density lipoproteins (LDL or "bad cholesterol") were reduced an average of 24.6%, and serum triglyceride levels fell an average of 19.8%. High-density lipoproteins (HDL or "good cholesterol") rose by 12.8% in the treatment group. The monacolin content in Red Yeast Rice is believed to account for the majority of the cholesterol-lowering activity of the yeast. Monacolins include the hydroxymethyglutaryl coenzyme-A, the enzyme involved in cholesterol biosynthesis. The mechanism of hypolipidemic activity is not entirely clear, but the presence of monacolin I (lovastatin mevinolin) and its corresponding beta-hydroxy Acid appear to be responsible for the lipid lowering activity. There are claims that the hypolipidemic effects of Red Yeast Rice have been found to be greater than those obtained from equivalent doses of the pharmaceutical form of lovastatin.
History:
Red Yeast Rice is the product of fermentation of rice with various strains of the yeast (Monascus purpureus), and it has been utilized for centuries in China and throughout Asia as both a food and herbal medicine. The traditional method of making Red Yeast Rice is to ferment the yeast naturally on a bed of cooked, non-glutinous, whole rice kernels.
It was apparently first noted as a medicine during the Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618-917) and employed for treating indigestion, Diarrhea, and congestion of the spleen and for improving blood Circulation, among other applications. Red Yeast Rice was introduced to Taiwan by winemakers in Fukien, China, about a century ago and became popular in the preparation of foods, including fish, meat, rice wine (fu chiu), red soybean curd, and pickled vegetables. It was (and still is) employed as a coloring agent and is also said to add flavor to foods.
The fungus, Monascus, which has been isolated from Red Yeast Rice, was introduced into Western society by Dutch scientists who noted its beneficial effects on the people of Java in 1884. It was introduced into the United States during the latter half of the 1990s as a dietary supplement for the promotion of healthy serum lipid levels.
The botanical specifics, purpureus and rubus, are recognition of the herb's purple or moderate rose/red coloration. Some of the constituents in Red Yeast Rice include starch, protein, fiber, fatty acids (oleic, linoleic, linolenic, palmitic, stearic), phytosterols (beta-sitosterol and stigmasterol), isoflavones, polyketides (monacolins) and natural pigments.
