Red yeast rice is known as the "Chinese medicine statin".
Monascus is red yeast rice made by the Aspergillus family fungus purple Monascus parasitizing on japonica rice. It has also been called red yeast, red rice, Fuqu, etc. in the past. "Compendium of Materia Medica" records that "Red yeast rice is mainly used to treat digestion, activate blood circulation, strengthen the spleen and dry the stomach. It can treat red and white diarrhea, diarrhea, bruises, and women's blood and gas pain and postpartum bad blood." "Shen Nong's Materia Medica" records: "Red yeast rice digests food and strengthens the spleen and stomach, which is the same as Divine Comedy. Red yeast rice is the only one that can promote blood circulation and injuries, so it is especially important for treating blood dysentery." Doctors in the past dynasties believe that it has the ability to strengthen the spleen and stomach. , eliminate accumulation, stop dysentery, activate blood circulation and remove blood stasis. Red yeast rice has a long history as a traditional Chinese medicine with both medicinal and food uses.
However, the real attention of red yeast rice in the world can be traced back to the 1970s. Professor Akira Endo of Japan discovered and isolated an active substance from the red yeast fermentation broth that can significantly inhibit the synthesis of cholesterol in the body. Monacrine K, scientists around the world have begun to pay new and widespread attention to natural red yeast and monaocrine compounds. Research has found that red yeast rice has a variety of secondary metabolites: monaocrine series (K, J, L, M, X), γ-aminobutyric acid, sterols, glucosamine, saponins, red yeast pigments, and mycotoxins Enzyme components such as citrinin and glucoamylase. Among them, monacoline K is particularly closely related to lowering blood lipids and is equivalent to a natural lovastatin. At present, a large number of laboratory and clinical efficacy observations have proven that both red yeast single drug preparations and red yeast compound preparations can significantly improve the symptoms of hyperlipidemia, reduce TC, TG, LDL-C, and increase HDL-C.
The "blood lipids" in modern medicine are similar to the "paste" and "fat" in traditional Chinese medicine. Abnormal blood lipids are mostly caused by improper diet, poor spleen movement, phlegm that is not resolved, and blood stasis. Caused by stagnation, kidney qi weakness, and liver and gallbladder failure to regulate blood circulation, "phlegm turbidity" and "blood stasis" are the most common clinical syndrome differentiation types of dyslipidemia. Monascus is warm in nature and sweet in taste. It has the functions of strengthening the spleen and reducing phlegm, promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis. Therefore, it can reduce phlegm and turbidity, promote qi and blood, improve the patient's physical condition, and treat hyperlipidemia. Therefore, red yeast rice is called the "Chinese medicine statin", which brings good news to patients with hyperlipidemia who are intolerant to statin.
How to eat red yeast rice: 1. Cook porridge and eat it directly, or cook it with rice or millet. 2. Brewing: The brewed wine tastes like rice wine, so you can drink less. 3. Cooking: Red rice flour is a natural coloring agent that is not only harmless but also has high nutritional value. Can be used to make braised pork, red eggs, etc. When making pastries, you can also add a small amount of red rice flour to increase nutrition and color. 4. Braised products: When making duck neck, duck wings, chicken wings, dried tofu, etc., adding red rice flour will not only make the color brighter, but also increase the nutritional content.