On July 20, 2022, in Zhongshan Natural Village, Tuliang Village, Mazhai Town, Dongyang City, Zhejiang Province, a brewing master collected the fermented red yeast and prepared to transport it to the drying field. Photo by Hu Yanghui, China News Service

Text/Zhao Bin

　　Health products containing red yeast rice ingredients produced by Japan's Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Company have so far caused 2 deaths and 106 hospitalizations.

　　What is red yeast rice? What are its effects? What are the precautions for using red yeast rice?

What is red yeast rice?

　　According to public information from the Guangdong Bureau of Traditional Chinese Medicine, there are three main types of red yeast produced in China, namely wine-making red yeast, pigmented red yeast and functional red yeast.

　　The wine-making red yeast rice has high saccharification power, strong esterification power and unique koji aroma. It is widely used in the brewing of various rice wines, white wines, vinegars and sauces.

　　The pigment red yeast rice has a high color value and is a pure natural food coloring agent. It is usually used for coloring meat products, fermented bean curd and other foods.

　　Functional red yeast rice refers to red yeast rice produced by fermentation of pure cultured Monascus containing monacolin K (also known as lovastatin) and other biologically active substances naturally produced by fermentation. It is often used for prevention and treatment. Raw materials for health care products and pharmaceuticals for cardiovascular diseases.

　　Liu Fang, deputy chief pharmacist and clinical pharmacist of traditional Chinese medicine at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital, said in an interview with China News Service: Modern research shows that red yeast rice has the ability to regulate blood lipids, reduce blood viscosity, fight inflammation, promote a steady decrease in blood pressure, and lower blood sugar. , anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-fatigue, immunity-enhancing and other pharmacological effects. Clinically, red yeast rice combined with corresponding traditional Chinese medicine is mainly used to treat diseases such as dyspepsia, vomiting, damp-heat and diarrhea. In addition, red yeast rice can activate blood circulation and remove blood stasis, and can be used for postpartum lochia, stasis, abdominal pain, and bruises.

How should red yeast rice be used in a regulated manner?

　　Xiao Xiaohe, academic director of the Department of Hepatology Medicine of the People's Liberation Army General Hospital and director of the PLA Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said in an interview with China News Service: As a traditional Chinese medicine product with the same source of medicine and food, red yeast rice has a long history of use in my country and has not yet been used. There are records and reports of liver and kidney damage cases. Judging from the production process of red yeast rice, even if undesirable mildew occurs and produces toxins such as aflatoxin and causes damage to human liver and other organs, it is often a relatively slow accumulation process.

　　Xiao Xiaohe said that as the details of the products and patients involved have not yet been disclosed, it is difficult to determine the specific cause of the damage incident involving red yeast health products of Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Company, and the possibility of other toxic and harmful substances being mixed into the health products involved cannot be ruled out. sex.

　　According to Japanese media reports, analysis results on the 16th of this month showed that some red yeast raw materials of Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Company may contain unknown ingredients.

　　Liu Fang said that the red yeast rice used by medical institutions is professionally processed in accordance with relevant regulations, and the quality meets the requirements. Pay attention when using red yeast rice: Red yeast rice contains statins. When using it in combination with lipid-lowering drugs, you need to pay attention to the dosage and strengthen liver and kidney function monitoring. Caution is also required when combining red yeast rice with drugs that interact with statins. Patients with insufficient spleen yin and excessive stomach fire should also take red yeast rice with caution. Patients with no food accumulation or blood stasis are best not to take red yeast rice. In addition, pregnant women should also use red yeast rice with caution.

　　Liu Fang said that as a drug, red yeast rice must be used by doctors under the premise of grasping the indications and differentiating diseases and syndromes, and the appropriate dosage must be selected. As an ingredient, the dosage of red yeast rice is relatively low, so it is safe in principle. Please pay appropriate attention to relevant taboos and avoid long-term and large-scale use.