Red Yeast Rice Helps Colon Health in Addition to Reducing Cholesterol

In a recent study red yeast rice significantly stopped growth of colon cancer cells.

Nutrition for Optimal Wellness | Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS | Red yeast rice is a fermented rice eaten throughout Asia ⁽¹⁾ that has been used for medicinal purposes for more than 1,200 years ⁽²⁾. Red yeast rice has been shown for more than a decade to be very effective in helping maintain healthy cholesterol levels. A 1999 study showed that 2400 mg per day of red yeast rice produced an 18% decrease in total cholesterol and a 23% decrease in LDL cholesterol ⁽³⁾. Now a 2008 lab study ⁽⁴⁾ suggests that red yeast rice may also help maintain colon health.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer (behind lung cancer) in the United States, claiming more than 55,000 Americans each year and posing a risk for an estimated 1 in 4 Americans (80 to 90 million) ⁽⁵⁾. It cost our healthcare system over $8 billion in 2007 ⁽⁶⁾.

In the study, researchers exposed two colon cancer cell lines (HCT-116 and HT-29) to red yeast rice doses ranging from 0 to 300 microgram/milliliter for 48 hours as well as red yeast rice free of a component called monacolin K in doses ranging from 0 to 100 micrograms/milliliter for 48 hours. Monacolin K acts very similarly to statin drugs and is thought to be responsible for the cholesterol-lowering effects of red yeast rice ⁽⁷⁾,

The researchers found that by the end of 48 hours, both samples of red yeast rice with (with and without monacolin K) significantly stopped growth of the colon cancer cells. Specifically, 50 micrograms/milliliter of red yeast rice with monacolin k reduced tumor cell growth by 41% and 32% in HCT-116 and HT-29 cells, respectively. Red yeast rice without monacolin K reduced tumor growth in the HCT-116 (at 50 micrograms/milliliter) and HT-29 (at 100 microgram/milliliter) by 25% and 20%, respectively.

For the researchers, “Red yeast rice with or without monacolin K may be a botanical approach to colon cancer chemoprevention worthy of further investigation.”

Reference: 1. J. Ma, Y. Li, Q. Ye, J. Li, Y. Hua and D. Ju et al., Constituents of red yeast rice, a traditional Chinese food and medicine, J Agric Food Chem 48 (2000), pp. 5220–5225

2. R.J. Haval, Dietary supplement or drug? The case of cholestin, Am J Clin Nutr 69 (1999), pp. 175–176

3. D. Heber, I. Yip, J.M. Ashley, D.A. Elashoff, R.M. Elashoff and V.L. Go, Cholesterol-lowering effects of a proprietary Chinese red-yeast-rice dietary supplement, Am J Clin Nutr 69 (1999), pp. 231–236

4. Hong MY. Anticancer effects of Chinese red yeast rice versus monacolin K alone on colon cancer cells. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry 2008; 19(7): 448-458

5. “Colorectal Cancer Fact Sheet” posted on the Foundation for Digestive Health and Nutrition Website www.fdhn.org/html/education/colorectal/facts.html

6. “Cost of Colorectal Cancer” postedon http://www.eifoundation.org/national/nccra/report_card/docs/CRC_Cost_Fact_Sheet.doc

7. L. Martinkova, P. Patakova-Juzlova, V. Krent, Z. Kucerova, V. Havlicek and P. Olsovsky et al., Biological activities of oligoketide pigments of Monascus purpureus, Food Addit Contam 16 (1999), pp. 15–24

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