The extensive health benefits of red yeast rice make it a great culinary choice. Learn more about this natural remedy’s potential benefits for a well-informed choice.
The health benefits of red yeast rice are truly fascinating to discover. Even though it’s a relatively recent addition to pharmacy shelves, it’s been valued for its medicinal properties for hundreds of years. The process of making red yeast rice involves fermenting rice with a special mold. It’s known to be one of the best natural solutions for high cholesterol, containing active ingredients similar to prescription medications. However, it’s important to be aware that it also comes with potential side effects. Let’s dive into all the details about red yeast rice.
What Is Red Yeast Rice?
Red yeast rice, also known as red fermented rice or red koji rice is a reddish-purple color rice. It gets its vibrant color from being cultivated with a mold called maize silage mold or Monascus purpureus. Thus it’s known as mold rice.
In Japanese, it’s called koji, a traditional food preparation dating back to around 300 BC. Koji literally means a bean or grain cultivated with mold. In scientific and popular English literature, this rice is commonly called red rice koji, inspired by its traditional use in Japan. However, articles that rely on Chinese literature sources prefer the translation of red yeast rice.
For ages, red yeast rice has been a part of traditional Chinese medicine, renowned for its health-boosting properties. Even at present, you can easily find this one as powders and supplements. It is widely used to manage cholesterol levels and enhance overall well-being. Let’s delve more into the health benefits of red yeast rice.
What Are the Health Benefits of Red Yeast Rice?
In many Asian countries, red yeast rice preparation involves using them as a powdered food coloring agent to add vibrant color to a variety of dishes. It’s commonly added to pickled tofu, alcoholic beverages, Chinese food, pastries, and cheese to enhance their appearance and appeal.
Red yeast rice is thought to offer various benefits like lowering coronary heart disease and metabolic syndrome risks, reducing inflammation, and maybe even having anticancer properties. But, we need more research to fully understand its effects.
1. Lowers Cholesterol
One of the main benefits of red yeast rice is to lower cholesterol levels. Red yeast rice contains statin-like chemicals similar to those found in prescription medications that are used to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and reduce cardiovascular disease risk (1).
Researchers are uncertain whether red yeast rice’s cholesterol-lowering effects are solely due to the statin-like chemical or if other components, such as unsaturated fatty acids, isoflavones, and phytosterols, also play a role.
But clinical observations of red yeast rice are proven to have a positive impact on hypercholesteremic patients with familial hypercholesterolemia and primary hyperlipidemia (familial) (2). Thus it can possibly be used in the treatment of hyperlipidemia too.
2. Improved Heart Health
One of the main uses of red rice yeast is to lower cholesterol. This means it can lower your risk of heart disease and stroke.
Having high cholesterol is a big deal for heart health. It can make your arteries stiff and narrow, which raises the risk of heart attacks and strokes (3). Thus red yeast rice is used as a popular natural remedy used to lower cholesterol levels thereby supporting heart health.
With low cholesterol, you’re less likely to get blood clots that can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and other ailments (4). Plus, it can also help with other issues from high blood pressure, like chest pain and heart failure.
3. Treatment for Metabolic Syndrome
Red yeast rice may help treat risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome, such as high blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
Metabolic syndrome has certain criteria like high blood pressure, excess body fat, increased blood sugar, and changes in cholesterol or triglyceride levels (5). Studies suggest that red yeast rice might help in treating some of these risk factors. This could also be a natural treatment to prevent them (6).
A clinical trial even showed that a red yeast rice supplement could lower blood sugar, insulin levels, and systolic blood pressure in people with metabolic syndrome (7).
4. Reduced Inflammation
Inflammation is a natural response that protects the body from infections. Even people with metabolic syndrome also show signs of inflammation (8). However, prolonged inflammation can lead to chronic conditions like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease (9).
Red yeast rice supplements benefit humans by reducing this inflammation, and thus prevent chronic conditions and improve overall health.
In a clinical study with 50 people dealing with metabolic syndrome, they tried a supplement with red yeast rice and olive extract for 8 weeks, and it dropped oxidative stress (a cause of chronic inflammation) by up to 20 percent (10). Even rats with kidney damage got in on the action, showing almost similar results. Their inflammation-related proteins were reduced too (11).
5. Anticancer Properties
Red yeast rice’s health benefits may include its potential anticancer properties too. An animal study proved that it might help slow down the growth of prostate cancer cells. It even worked well in reducing the tumor volume (12). But we still need more research to figure out how it really affects other types of cancer in humans.
6. Improves Blood Circulation
Red yeast rice is great for improving blood circulation by helping clear out plaques in blood vessels (4). This means better healing of wounds and improved overall body function. Even if you don’t have plaque buildup, better circulation ensures your muscles and organs get more oxygen, which is good for your health.
Side Effects of Red Yeast Rice
Red yeast rice is becoming popular as a natural remedy for health benefits, and people are interested in trying it. But be aware of the possible risks. Before using it, know the negative side effects of red yeast rice and consider if it’s right for you.
1. Unregulated Supplement
Red yeast rice, along with other herbal supplements, is not regulated by the FDA. As a result, determining the exact contents of the supplement can be challenging. Some red yeast rice products may contain high levels of specific chemicals, which could lead to adverse effects similar to those of cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Even in 1998, the FDA took action to ban a product called Cholestin which contained red yeast rice extract. Therefore, it’s an unregulated supplement, and you may need to take it at your own risk (13). Although it’s legal to market red yeast rice, it’s not permissible to sell the product while promoting more of its statin or monacolin content. Also, presently, red yeast rice supplements are only permitted to contain trace amounts of monacolin K.
Likewise, red yeast rice has a chemical similar to the prescription drug lovastatin, which means it might bring similar adverse side effects. It can even cause damage after discontinuation like muscle damage, muscle pain, and the risk of liver damage. Therefore, regulating supplements with red yeast rice proved to be challenging.
2. High Levels of Monacolin K
Certain red yeast rice supplements have been found to contain excessive amounts of monacolin K, the active component in statin drugs used to lower cholesterol. Consuming high levels of monacolin K can lead to digestive issues such as diarrhea, nausea, and stomach pain, in addition to other reported side effects (14).
3. Interactions with Other Medications
It’s crucial to consult your doctor before taking red yeast rice, especially if you’re already on cholesterol medication or other medications that could interact with it. The presence of monacolin K can cause complications when used in combination with other medications.
Monacolin K is the key active component used in statin drugs, which are prescribed to lower elevated cholesterol. Therefore, if you are already under statin treatment, it’s essential to only consume red yeast rice if directed by a health care provider (15).
Additionally, they may interact with the same drugs that statins interact with, including other cholesterol-lowering medications, certain antidepressants, antifungals, antibiotics, and antiretrovirals (16).
4. Citrinin Formation
An analysis of proprietary Chinese red yeast rice dietary supplements revealed variability in chemical profile, confirming the presence of both monacolin and citrinin (17).
Improper cultivation of red yeast rice can lead to the presence of citrinin, a toxin produced by certain types of mold. Citrinin has been associated with kidney issues and other health problems. Ensuring proper sourcing and quality of red yeast rice supplements is essential to avoid this potential health risk (15).
5. Right Dosage
When it comes to taking red yeast rice, the usual daily dosage can be a bit high. They say it’s around 600 milligrams, taken two to four times a day, which means you could be looking at a total of 1,200 to 2,400 milligrams (18).
But here’s the thing – you never really know how much of that good chemical stuff is actually in your supplement. So, it’s better to start with a smaller dose and then get your cholesterol checked to see if it’s doing the trick.
6. Not Recommended for Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women
Due to limited research on the safety of red yeast rice during pregnancy and breastfeeding, it is not recommended for women in these conditions. It’s essential to prioritize safety and consult a healthcare professional before considering red yeast rice supplementation.
Conclusion
The health benefits of red yeast rice like lowering blood cholesterol levels, improving heart health, and reducing inflammation make it a great pharmaceutical ingredient. But be cautious on its usage as it still lacks an FDA regulation. It has high monacolin K levels and potential mold toxin which makes them slightly risky. So consult a healthcare professional and add the right dosage to your regimen.
ALSO READ: Benefits of Matta Rice, a Superfood for a Healthy Lifestyle
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