Cholesterol-Fighting Red Yeast Rice Supplements Vary Widely In Formulations

The dietary supplement red yeast rice (RYR) – also known as hong qu – is advertised as a natural therapeutic for treating hyperlipidemia (high blood cholesterol and triglycerides). A number of brands are available on the market, and a U.S. study has found wide variations in their active ingredient formulations. One brand, the study found, even contained detectable levels of a toxic substance. RYR is made by culturing a yeast (Monascus purpureus) on rice. That process yields compounds called monacolins, one of which has been purified and marketed as lovastatin. American consumers in 2008 spent about $20 million on the supplement. But, researchers concluded, there is a “need for improved standardization of RYR products and product labeling” and until then “physicians should be cautious in recommending RYR to their patients.”