Healthnotes Newswire (October 18, 2007)—A red yeast rice extract called xuezhikang may lower heart disease risk in seniors who have already suffered a heart attack.
Red yeast rice is rice that has been fermented by the yeast Monascus purpureus. The extract can be prepared in one of three ways; xuezhikang is the Chinese name given to the preparation made by mixing the rice and red yeast with alcohol and then processing it to remove the rice gluten. Red yeast rice has historical uses in China as a digestive aid and circulation enhancer. It is also widely used in Asia as a preservative, food coloring agent, flavor enhancer, and as an ingredient in red wine. Extracts of red yeast rice also have lipid-lowering properties similar to that of statin drugs.
