Red Yeast Rice

When red yeast rice is fermented under certain conditions, it may contain high levels of lovastatin, a potent cholesterol-lowering drug. Because lovastatin is an approved medication for lowering cholesterol, red yeast rice supplements that contain large amounts of lovastatin are effective for this. Possible side effects of red yeast rice may include indigestion, gas, and muscle pain.

 

What Is Red Yeast Rice?

Red yeast rice is a product that results from the fermentation of rice using a certain type of yeast. It is commonly used in Asian cooking. When red yeast rice is fermented using certain strains of yeast under specific controlled conditions, it may contain high levels of lovastatin, a potent cholesterol-lowering drug, along with similar compounds. Because lovastatin is a prescription medication, the FDA considers any red yeast rice supplement that contains a significant amount of lovastatin to be "an unapproved drug," not a dietary supplement.
 
(Click Benefits of Red Yeast Rice for more information on what red yeast rice is used for.)
 

How Does Red Yeast Rice Work?

As mentioned, when fermented under certain conditions with specific strains of yeast, red yeast rice may contain significant amounts of mevinic acids, including lovastatin.
 Lovastatin is an HMG-Co reductase inhibitor, more commonly known as a statin. Statins work by blocking HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme that controls the rate of cholesterol production in the body. This causes the liver to make less cholesterol.
 
Red yeast rice may also contain plant sterols, such as beta-sitosterol, which are compounds that may help to lower cholesterol. It may also contain isoflavones (estrogen-like plant compounds). However, most of the cholesterol-lowering effects of red yeast rice are probably due to lovastatin or related compounds.
 
Not all red yeast rice contains lovastatin and other statin-like compounds. Most red yeast rice that is sold for use in food, such as in Asian grocery stores, contains little or no lovastatin. However, many red yeast rice supplements are fermented very carefully in order to increase the lovastatin content.
 

Is Red Yeast Rice Effective?

Red yeast rice seems to work for lowering cholesterol, as would be expected, because it contains lovastatin or other statin-like compounds. Red yeast rice that does not contain lovastatin probably doesn't work well for lowering cholesterol (see Does Red Yeast Rice Work? for more information).
 

Dosing Information for Red Yeast Rice

It is difficult to recommend a dose of red yeast rice, because different products contain different amounts of lovastatin (the active, cholesterol-lowering compound in red yeast rice).
 
(Click Red Yeast Rice Dosage for more information.)
 

Side Effects of Red Yeast Rice

Red yeast rice can cause several side effects, such as:
 
  • Abdominal discomfort (stomach discomfort)
  • Heartburn or indigestion
  • Gas
  • Dizziness
  • Muscle pain
  • Liver damage.
     
(Click Red Yeast Rice Side Effects to learn more, including potentially serious side effects that you should report immediately to your healthcare provider.)
 

Drug Interactions With Red Yeast Rice

Red yeast rice can potentially interact with several medications (see Red Yeast Rice Drug Interactions).
 

Safety Issues With Red Yeast Rice

The FDA considers any red yeast rice supplement that contains lovastatin an unapproved drug, not a dietary supplement. Such supplements can cause any of the problems seen with statin medications, including liver or muscle damage. Some people are more likely than others to experience problems with it. Therefore, you should talk with your healthcare provider prior to taking red yeast rice if you have:
 
Also, let your healthcare provider know if you are:
 
Make sure to tell your healthcare provider about any other medications you are taking, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
 
(Click Risks of Red Yeast Rice for more information, including any available warnings and precautions.)
 

What If I Take an Overdose of Red Yeast Rice?

It is not known what exactly to expect from a red yeast rice overdose, but it is reasonable to assume that taking too much of this product may cause the usual side effects of red yeast rice, but perhaps more severely.
 
(Click Red Yeast Rice Overdose for more information.)
 

How Should Red Yeast Rice Be Stored?

Refer to the label of your individual red yeast rice product for information on how best to store it.
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;