Solaray, Red Yeast Rice, 120 Vegetable Capsules

Red yeast rice by Solaray is manufactured by the fermentation of a strain of yeast, Monascus Purpureus, on rice. Red Yeast Rice is a powerful tool in lowering cholesterol and heart disease risks. Red yeast rice contains a compound called lovastatin as well as a number of related compounds in the class called statins. They are highly effective in reducing blood cholesterol levels and are, in fact, the basis for several pharmaceutical drugs. Some examples, in addition to lovastatin, are simvastatin, mevastatin, pravastatin, atorvastatin, and fluvastatin. Statins lower blood cholesterol by inhibiting an important enzyme that is required for the synthesis of cholesterol in the liver. The enzyme is hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase. That's quite a mouthful, so this protein usually goes by the simpler name HMG-CoA reductase. If your cholesterol level is too high, inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase is a good thing to do.