Overview

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Red yeast rice is the product of the fungus Monascus purpureus grown on rice. Red yeast rice is available in a powdered form that you can eat. It's also used in traditional Chinese medicine or sold as a supplement taken by mouth.

Red yeast rice has compounds in it that appear to lower cholesterol. One of the compounds is monacolin K. This compound has the same chemical structure as the prescription cholesterol-lowering medicine lovastatin (Altoprev).

Some people take red yeast rice as a supplement to try to lower cholesterol and improve their heart health.