Red Yeast Rice: Benefits, Uses, and Who Should Take It

May promote heart health

Heart disease is a serious condition that affects millions and is estimated to account for 31.5% of deaths around the world (3Trusted Source).

High cholesterol — one of the main risk factors for heart disease — can cause arteries to narrow and stiffen, leading to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke (4Trusted Source).

Red yeast rice is commonly used as a natural remedy to help lower cholesterol levels and promote heart health, and can sometimes have fewer adverse side effects than prescription drugs used to treat high cholesterol (5Trusted Source).

One review of 21 studies found that red yeast rice was effective at reducing levels of total and LDL (bad) cholesterol, as well as triglycerides and blood pressure, when combined with statin drugs (6Trusted Source).

Additionally, the monacolin K may also help improve endothelial function, or the flexibility and adaptability of your blood vessels, which is key to maintaining your vascular and heart health (7Trusted Source).

May help treat metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that increase your risk for chronic conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

Some of the criteria for metabolic syndrome include high blood pressure, excess body fat, increased blood sugar, and alterations in cholesterol or triglyceride levels (8Trusted Source).

Several studies have found that red yeast rice may help treat some of these risk factors and could be used as a natural treatment to aid in their prevention (9Trusted Source).

One of its most well-documented effects is its ability to lower cholesterol. Research shows that it can effectively reduce both total and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.

Another small, 18-week study found that a supplement containing red yeast rice was able to reduce blood sugar, insulin levels, and systolic blood pressure (the top number of a reading) in people with metabolic syndrome (10Trusted Source).

Plus, an 8-week study looked at the effects of red yeast rice on mice fed a high fat diet compared with a control group. It found that red yeast rice was able to prevent increases in cholesterol levels and body weight (11Trusted Source).

Could reduce inflammation

Inflammation is a normal immune response designed to protect your body against acute infections and foreign invaders.

However, sustained inflammation is thought to contribute to chronic conditions like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease (12Trusted Source).

Studies show that supplementing with red yeast rice may help reduce inflammation and promote better health in the long term.

For example, a study in 50 people with metabolic syndrome showed that taking a supplement containing red yeast rice and olive extract for 8 weeks reduced levels of oxidative stress — a key cause of chronic inflammation — by up to 20 percent (13Trusted Source).

Similarly, one study found that giving red yeast extract to rats with kidney damage reduced levels of specific proteins involved in inflammation in the body (14Trusted Source).

May have anticancer properties

Although current research is limited to animal and test-tube studies, some evidence suggests that red yeast rice may help reduce the growth and spread of cancer cells.

One study found that giving mice with prostate cancer red yeast rice powder significantly decreased tumor volume compared with a control group (15Trusted Source).

However, more research is needed to evaluate the effects of red yeast rice on other types of cancer in humans.

Specifically, further studies should be done to determine how the potential anticancer effects of red yeast rice may affect the general population.