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High consumption of red yeast rice harmful: foundation

The Taiwan Heart Foundation warned yesterday that consuming too much red yeast rice — a popular additive in local diets or supplements that is believed to reduce cholesterol levels naturally — could be harmful to the health.

The foundation urged those who eat red yeast rice to keep their daily intake to under 15g to prevent harmful side-effects to the liver and kidneys.

Red yeast rice is rice that has been fermented by the red yeast called Monascus purpureus. Fermented rice is used as a food preservative, food coloring and an ingredient in rice wine.

Huang Juei-jen (黃瑞仁), deputy executive director of the foundation, said that red yeast rice and foods made with it are usually used as a natural alternative to lovastatin — a prescription drug used to lower high blood lipids and cholesterol and reduce cardiovascular risk.

Excessive doses of lovastatin are harmful to the liver and kidneys, as well as skeletal muscle, Huang said, adding that consuming too much red yeast rice can have the same side effects because it is similar in terms of composition and effect to the drug.

People taking lovastatin who eat excessive amounts of red yeast rice to improve their medical conditions put themselves at even greater risk of liver and kidney disease, Huang said.

He called on those already taking lovastatin to consult their doctors before using red yeast rice as an alternative or supplement.

Hsieh Yen-yau (謝炎堯), deputy superintendent of the Koo Foundation Sun Yat-sen Cancer Center, said that when red yeast rice ferments, it can produce a fungus called Penicillium citrinum, which is toxic to the liver and kidneys.

Unknown sources of red yeast used for fermentation and sloppy manufacturing procedures can cause the growth of the fungus, said Hsieh, who urged the public to carefully choose products with quality certification.
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